The Sorting

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares Revisited

One of Jesus’ parables is The Wheat and the Tares. From the King James:

The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. (Matthew 13:24-30)

His disciples later asked Jesus what he meant. He answered:

He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 13:37-43)

Time in this busy week does not permit me to give an exegesis of this parable and of Jesus’ explanation. But one should know that tares look a lot like wheat until both come to maturity. Then it becomes clear that the tares are indeed tares, a harmful weed. Before maturity, sorting the two kinds out is difficult and unwise because of the risk of removing the good with the bad.

As Jesus indicates, the parable has eschatological implications. For a lengthy time, probably most of church history, it is usually difficult to tell the faithful wheat from the phony parasitical tares. But as we get closer to The End, the tares will sort themselves by becoming more unlike the wheat. After that comes the harvest, the Judgement in which Christ does the final sorting.

I do not presume to know or to speculate how close we are to that final sorting. But as I look around me, it is clear that sorting is under way. The tares are becoming obvious in the church.

The indications are increasing is that Pope Leo XIV is Francis II. And, enabled by these two popes, unfaithful bishops and clergy are now more open about it. God can do miracles but churches rarely turn back once they are far the road to apostasy. I fear Rome fell when Benedict XVI resigned.

As for Canterbury, it now has an apostate undereducated priestess as its Archbishop. So this Anglican is in no position to gloat like a Puritan. (Although, to be clear, my Reformed Episcopal Church and Anglican Church in North America is not in communion with Canterbury and never has been.)

Church after church in the West now are more open about rejecting the basics of the Faith and instead embrace various forms of Marxism and sexual immorality. Church after church has “exchanged the truth of God for a lie.” They are more obvious about it and often more silly about it. The Pope blessing a block of ice? Drag queens and pronoun mongers leading worship? They are so insane, they don’t realize how deluded and silly they are. For God is giving them up to a depraved mind. (Romans 1:28)

But these apostates have their purpose. Now the wheat, the faithful, are more evident. And, goaded by the evil that has infiltrated and taken over so much of the church and enabled by internet technologies (Yes, the internet and social media has its good uses.), they are more vocal, visible and effective. As the angel speaking to Daniel put it when speaking of the latter days, “They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” (Daniel 12: 3) And light shines brightest during times of darkness.

There is now a sorting outside the church as well. The assassination of Charlie Kirk and its aftermath is certainly part of the sorting. That murder was horrific as it was. Yet immediately came the added shock of seeing many celebrate openly, on social media even. It was also instructive. It woke people up. Many, seeing that evil is real and indeed evil, are turning towards the good and going to church and looking into the Faith. Those already Christian are becoming that much more committed to the Faith and spreading it.

In Virginia, there is the case of the Democrat candidate for Attorney General, Jay Jones, wishing death on political opponents and of fellow Democrats not withdrawing their endorsements. At this writing I know not one that has. Now it’s coming out that Jones thinks cops should be killed also. I pray this sorting also has a good side and a good result, of voters rejecting these Democrats in elections in Virginia and also New Jersey in November. God help us if it doesn’t. (Readers in Virginia and New Jersey please vote wisely and take people with you.)

Two years ago was the Hamas genocidal attack on Israel as Rod Dreher also notes.

Never Forget This Day Of Infamy

Immediately afterward, demonstrations for Hamas increased and continue in large numbers today, braying for more genocide. (And don’t be in denial. What do you think “Globalize the Intifada” and “From the River to the Sea” means?) And the Labour government of the UK and the Liberals in Canada and other governments now reward the Hamas Nazis by recognizing “Palestine” as a state. These governments also continue to import masses of virulent anti-semites and invading criminals. Pope Leo says we’re not nice if we don’t.

I could continue. But it has become more evident who the evil people are. Much more. And they are not just a few outliers. Remember that one poll indicates 54% of liberals agree with the following: “Charlie Kirk was speaking hateful words and his murder was tragic but understandable.”

“Both sides” mendacity therefore remains an option only for cucks and cowards. Many now see that and are siding with what is at least decent and sane. When you goad Bill Maher to talk sense… When you red pill Elon Musk, Sasha Stone, Matt Taibbi and others once on the Left, there is a sorting going on.

I’ve heard and read excellent churchmen teach on the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares. And they, like St. Augustine, usually have taught as if we are in that long time when it is hard to tell the wheat and the tares apart. And for centuries, they were right to do so, probably into recent times. But I now think we are at the point when continuing to teach that way is an exercise in not knowing what time it is. Both in and outside the church, evil and good have become more evident and more stark. And supposed middle grounds are crumbling and splitting.

The Sorting is well underway.

If so, the implications, both encouraging and warning, are many and of import. But I must leave off for now.