Mt 13:36-43
36Dismissing the crowds, [Jesus] went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, 38the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40Just as weeds are collected and burned [up] with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. 42They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
EXPLANATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE WEEDS: The world is the arena where good and evil interact. Jesus, the divine sower, sows good seeds in the person of those who follow the will of God. But the devil is also at work, through “his children” who oppose Jesus and lead people astray. Because the weeds (the evil ones) are not easily distinguished from the wheat (the good ones), they can confuse and tempt people.
But the world is moving toward a goal determined by God. The time will come when there will be a clear separation of the good and the wicked, and the corresponding reward or punishment will be given. Matthew’s emphasis on the last judgment serves as a warning to those “outside,” people who reject the message of Christ and who do the devil’s works. But the warning also applies to the Christian community, those who do not remain faithful to their call. While the community must go after the sinner and do everything to regain the lost brother or sister, God’s judgment awaits those who are obdurate in their rejection of God’s offer of salvation.