Let's Study the Parables - 4 - The Wheat and the Cockle

[Nita]

Notworthy is presently on a retreat and asked if I would choose and introduce the next parable for discussion. First reaction: ; then, :nope: , next ; finally

I’ll begin with his regular introductory questions:

a) What is the Message behind the Parable?
b) What doctrines do we see being taught in each Parable?
c) Can a Parable be used to defend against Non-Catholic doctrines?
d) What is the context of the Parable?

**Let’s Study the Parables

• 4 -
  The Wheat and the Cockle (aka Darnel, Tares, weeds)**

Scripture: Matthew 13:24-30 and 36-43

24 Another parable He proposed to them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while men were asleep, his enemy came and oversowed cockle among the wheat and went his way. 26 And when the blade was sprung up, and had brought forth fruit, then appeared also the cockle. 27 And the servants of the goodman of the house coming said to him: Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? Whence then hath it cockle? 28 And he said to them: An enemy hath done this. And the servants said to him: Wilt thou that we go and gather it up? 29 And he said: No, lest perhaps gathering up the cockle, you root up the wheat also together with it. 30 Suffer both to grow until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather up first the cockle, and bind it into bundles to burn, but the wheat gather ye into my barn.
….
36 Then having sent away the multitudes, he came into the house, and his disciples came to him, saying: Expound to us the parable of the cockle of the field. 37 Who made answer and said to them: He that soweth the good seed, is the Son of man. 38 And the field, is the world. And the good seed are the children of the kingdom. And the cockle, are the children of the wicked one. 39 And the enemy that sowed them, is the devil. But the harvest is the end of the world. And the reapers are the angels. 40 Even as cockle therefore is gathered up, and burnt with fire: so shall it be at the end of the world. 41 The Son of man shall send His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all scandals, and them that work iniquity. 42 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the just shine as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

I chose the Douay translation for a particular reason. The NAB and RSV-CE Bibles translate the Greek term “zizania” with the generic “weeds” rather “cockle”, the specific weed indicated by the Greek (aka darnel or tares). The characteristics of cockle are important to the parable.

From the Catholic Encyclopedia ( newadvent.org/cathen/12149a.html ):
**zizánia, …stands for … bearded darnel, the only grass with a poisonous seed, “entirely like wheat till the ear appears”. **

This is one of the parables that Jesus interprets for the disciples. Yet, as so often happens, when one question gets answered, it only raises a couple more. Here are some questions that arose in my mind:
What is the initial message/idea that first impacts one;
Examples of “cockle” in the world;
How are “men asleep” (vs 25);
Examples of when wheat might be/has been uprooted with cockle (vs 29)
Role of angels in our history

Nita

 

[Nita]

Jesus had just finished explaining the Parable of the Sower, in which “seed” represented His teaching. Now He uses “seed” to represent people.

One of the dominant impressions of this parable for me is the clarity with which Jesus lets us know that already here on earth, there are only two camps; everyone is in either one or the other.
Jesus says the field is the world.
There are only two sowers - Jesus and the devil.
There are only two kinds of seeds/plants (people) in the field (world) - wheat (children of the kingdom) and cockle (children of the wicked one).

Nita

 

[Nita]

After reading some commentaries, I think I erred in my previous post by interpreting the wheat and cockle to include everyone. A better interpretation would be wheat=faithful members in Church; cockle=heretics, both those within the Church and those outside the Church.

From Augustine:

…But we do well to enquire whether by such are meant heretics, or Catholics who lead evil lives. That He says, that they were sown among the wheat, seems to point out that they were all of one communion. But forasmuch as He interprets the field to mean not the Church, but the world, we may well understand it of the heretics, who in this world are mingled with the good; …

Here is a footnote from the Navarre Bible regarding the cockle:

This weed–cockle–looks very like wheat and can easily be mistaken for it until the ears appear. If it gets ground up with wheat it contaminates the flour and any bread made from that flour causes severe nausea when eaten. In the East personal vengeance sometimes took the form of sowing cockle among an enemy’s wheat. Roman law prescribed penalties for this crime.

And John Chysostom is always interesting:

…This is the contrivance of the Devil, ever to mix error with truth.
…

Here He shows that error arose after truth, as indeed the course of events testifies;… For unless the Devil sees somewhat to imitate, and some to lay in wait against, he does not attempt any thing. Therefore because he saw that this man bears fruit an hundred, this sixty, and this thirty-fold, (reference to previous parable), and that he was not able to carry off or to choke that which had taken root, he turns to other insidious practices, mixing up his own seed, which is a counterfeit of the true, and thereby imposes upon such as are prone to be deceived. So the parable speaks, not of another seed, but of tares which bear a great likeness to wheat corn.

I think most of us have experienced some of the cockle present in the Church and world today. And, similar to the first reaction of the servants, probably thought: “Why doesn’t the Pope just excommunicate them all?” - pull out all those cockle weeds!! (I plead guilty.)

Does anyone have some thoughts on how such an action by the Pope would have resulted in “wheat being pulled up with the cockle”?

Nita

 

[Mintaka]

Some good people are brought into the Church by bad people. Some good people are so tenderhearted or loyal to friends that, if a bad person were thrown out, they’d go with him.

 

[NotWorthy]

After reading some commentaries, I think I erred in my previous post by interpreting the wheat and cockle to include everyone. A better interpretation would be wheat=faithful members in Church; cockle=heretics, both those within the Church and those outside the Church.

I think most of us have experienced some of the cockle present in the Church and world today. And, similar to the first reaction of the servants, probably thought: “Why doesn’t the Pope just excommunicate them all?” - pull out all those cockle weeds!! (I plead guilty.)

I think you are right on both, Nita. The cockle certainly represent the church leaders who fail to shepherd the flock of whom they are chosen to serve. The molestation disaster is one to think of.

But I also think that it represents the flock as well.

 

[Nita]

I think you are right on both, Nita. The cockle certainly represent the church leaders who fail to shepherd the flock of whom they are chosen to serve. The molestation disaster is one to think of.

But I also think that it represents the flock as well.

Very glad to have you back. Hope the retreat went well.

Nita

 

[Nita]

Some good people are brought into the Church by bad people.

Had never thought about that, but I’m sure you’re right. And perhaps in time the bad people will change and convert. I wonder if excommunicating someone would tend to make them more stubborn in defending and holding on to their view — and less open to the truth.

Some good people are so tenderhearted or loyal to friends that, if a bad person were thrown out, they’d go with him.

I agree. Jesus calls us sheep and like sheep we do have a tendency to follow those we consider gifted/wise leaders.

Nita

 

[Nita]

Was too late to edit and add this to my other post.

…
But I also think that it represents the flock as well.

I know it can represent the flock also; I was once one of them, without really realizing it. I was “following my conscience”!!! Have a feeling there are many like that, who hold to false views without really grasping how serious an offense it is.

Nita

 

[NotWorthy]

One thing that the average Israelite would have recognized in this story that, sadly, most of us don’t, is that the cockle looks exactly like the wheat stalk until the fruit forms on the wheat. In the OT, the fruit of a plant symbolized the actions we do in accordance with God’s Will. The message to the ancient Jew is simple:

*You can talk like a wheat and others will think that you are wheat, but your actions will bear out whether you truly are a cockle or wheat. *

To anyone who teaches that we can have faith without works is simply not listening to this Parable.

 

[Nita]

In this parable, like others, Jesus also lets us know that there is activity taking place on the part of the angelic world - bad angels as well as good. (*vs 39 And the enemy that sowed them, is the devil.) * Because we cannot detect their presences at all through our senses, I find myself tending to forget about their presence; failing to be sensitive to when certain things may be interventions by Satan in an attempt to halt a good action; or failing to be recognize that helpful incidents may have been the result of activity by good angels.

It seems to me that priests are probably a primary target of the devil. We would probably be astounded if we were shown the temptations to which they have been subjected. No one can take over our will, but it appears the angelic world can have influence elsewhere - thoughts, emotions,…

But, praise God, the good angels are also at work.

vs 41 The Son of man shall send His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all scandals, and them that work iniquity.

The outcome is assured. But I wonder just what form this angelic activity will take — if, and how, it will be perceptible to us.

Nita

 

[NotWorthy]

In this parable, like others, Jesus also lets us know that there is activity taking place on the part of the angelic world - bad angels as well as good. (*vs 39 And the enemy that sowed them, is the devil.) * Because we cannot detect their presences at all through our senses, I find myself tending to forget about their presence; failing to be sensitive to when certain things may be interventions by Satan in an attempt to halt a good action; or failing to be recognize that helpful incidents may have been the result of activity by good angels.

It seems to me that priests are probably a primary target of the devil. We would probably be astounded if we were shown the temptations to which they have been subjected. No one can take over our will, but it appears the angelic world can have influence elsewhere - thoughts, emotions,…

But, praise God, the good angels are also at work.

The outcome is assured. But I wonder just what form this angelic activity will take — if, and how, it will be perceptible to us.

Nita

It was at one of my weakest points that I think I felt the healing touch of my guardian angel.

 

[ryanoneil]

Mat 13:24-30 parallels Rev 20:1-6

Mat 13:36-42 parallelsRev 20:7-15

verse 43 speaks of those resurrected to etenal life, and parallels Rev 21

Peace,

Ryan

 

[NotWorthy]

41 The Son of man shall send His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all scandals, and them that work iniquity. 42 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the just shine as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father

I was just wondering…

How does someone who buys into the rapture theory (which I know is a man-made tradition) deal with the order of judgment that Jesus describes.

First, the evil ones are rounded up and thrown into the fire.
THEN the just are gathered up.

Doesn’t this fly into the face of Rapturist?

 

[butterflygirl12]

Well this parable always makes me think about making sure I do my best to be wheat and do good works in my life. I especially like the fact that Jesus explained this parable so directly to the apostles. It also makes me realize to be careful who I listen to .

 

[brownjt]

NotWorthy:
I was just wondering…

How does someone who buys into the rapture theory (which I know is a man-made tradition) deal with the order of judgment that Jesus describes.

First, the evil ones are rounded up and thrown into the fire.
THEN the just are gathered up.

Doesn’t this fly into the face of Rapturist?

I say go with what the MASTER said out of his own mouth.

 

[NotWorthy]

I say go with what the MASTER said out of his own mouth.

Well, of course.

But can you be more specific?

 

[brownjt]

Well, of course.

But can you be more specific?

yeah - confusing I know. I woul have to read revelation again. I see Jesus’s Killler Angels coming down and taking care of business. Maybe once we are separated, we would experience the rapture? I would not want to experience the final wrath!