Matthew 13:26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.
There is a deeper layer in this parable that moves beyond simply identifying the difference between wheat and tares. Yeshua (Jesus) is not only revealing that the tare looks like wheat — He is warning that what it produces has the power to affect those who partake of it. The issue is not just imitation; it is ingestion. It is not only what is growing in the field, but what is being received into the heart.
In the natural world, darnel — the tare — was dangerous not merely because it resembled wheat, but because of what happened when it was harvested and consumed. Its seeds were often infected with a toxic fungus, and when mixed with real grain and ground into flour, it could cause dizziness, disorientation, and even a loss of mental clarity. In some cases, it produced effects similar to intoxication. What appeared harmless in the field became harmful in the body. This is the sobering picture Yeshua is painting.
The danger, then, is not always immediately visible. A tare can grow unnoticed for a season, but its true nature is revealed through its effect. In the same way, there are influences, teachings, and voices that may appear sound on the surface, yet when received, they do not produce life. Instead, they introduce confusion, weaken conviction, and subtly distort truth. The question is not only what something looks like, but what it imparts when embraced.
This is where discernment becomes deeply personal. The parable is not just about identifying what is false in the field — it is about guarding what is allowed into our own lives. Because deception is not merely something to observe from a distance, it is something that can be absorbed if we are not watchful. What we consistently take in will shape our thinking, influence our convictions, and ultimately affect how clearly we see.
In this hour, the field is full, and the voices are many. Access to teaching, influence, and information is constant. But not everything that is available is life-giving. Some things carry mixture. Some things carry subtle distortion. And, like the tare, their effects are often gradual. They do not immediately destroy; they slowly dull spiritual sensitivity, weaken discernment, and make compromise feel acceptable.
Yeshua’s warning, then, is not only about recognizing deception — it is about refusing to consume it. Discernment requires more than observation; it requires intentionality. It calls us to test what we hear, to weigh what we receive, and to remain anchored in what is true. Because what we feed on will determine what we become. If we feed on truth, we grow in clarity. If we feed on mixture, we begin to tolerate compromise. And if we feed on deception, even in subtle ways, it will affect our ability to discern.
This is why the battle in this parable is not just in the field — it is in the heart. The Lord is calling His people to maturity, to move beyond passive reception into active discernment. To no longer accept something simply because it is presented, but to examine its source, its substance, and its fruit.
This is a call to guard your spiritual appetite. Not everything that appears acceptable is beneficial, and not everything that resembles truth carries life. The Spirit of God is leading His people into a place of clarity — where we are no longer easily swayed, but firmly rooted in truth.
Do not feed on what dulls your spirit or weakens your conviction. Instead, return again and again to what is pure, what is true, and what produces life. Because in this hour, what you receive will determine how clearly you see. Those who guard their hearts and remain anchored in truth will not be overcome by deception. They will walk in clarity, stand in strength, and be prepared for what is ahead. This is the hour to be watchful, to be discerning, and to be rooted deeply in truth. For the difference between wheat and tares is no longer hidden — and those who are awake will not be deceived.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]The book of Isaiah, often called the Old Testament Gospel, reveals that a child was to be born and his name called “The Mighty God, and the Everlasting Father”. We know that this Child was Yeshua (Jesus) of Nazareth, that He is the unique Son of God, the express image of the invisible God. The throne of David was to be given to Him and He now holds its “key”, a symbol of the right and authority of His reign, which will be consummated when He returns to this world and restores the Kingdom to Israel [Acts 1:6-7].
Patience is one of those things… so hard to learn it… so hard to practice it faithfully in our daily walk. It’s one of of those things I truly wish we didn’t have to learn — but God requires it of us! As I was reading through this passage again in Exodus, it dawned on me that Moses sat on the mountain for six entire days before the Lord spoke to him. He had to patiently wait for the Lord for six days!
When I studied Isaiah 53 earnestly in the ancient Hebrew, I was taken back by the Hebrew word for “afflicted” (me-u-neh). In modern Hebrew this word means “tortured”. When I was young, and first learned what torture actually involved, my soul was shocked that this could happen to people; in fact that it was happening to people. That a person could be kept alive for the purpose of intentionally causing him intense agonizing pain was an astounding enigma for my young soul. It really frightened me; and I think that fear of torture is probably the greatest fear that humans can experience. We read about people who have been tortured, with a kind of horrified awe. And quietly we wonder inside, “How can this be?” And, “Could this ever happen to me?”
I love this story! Peter was sitting between two guards and suddenly an angel of the Lord comes to him and frees him — and he thinks it’s a vision! He’s not sure if he truly believes it.
“Exhausted but still in pursuit…” Well, now we know why the angel of YHVH addressed Gideon the way he did. With his small three hundred man army he had just decimated the army of Midian — but the victory wasn’t complete, and so the Jewish general and his small, exhausted, hungry, band were determined to cross the Jordan and take care of 15,000 additional Midanite enemies and their leaders, Zebah and Zalmunna.
His nightmares began each day when he awoke. James Stegalls was nineteen. He was in Vietnam. Though he carried a small Gideon New Testament in his shirt pocket, he couldn’t bring himself to read it. His buddies were cut down around him, terror was building within him, and God seemed far away. His twentieth birthday passed, then his twenty-first. At last, he felt he couldn’t go on.
On January 1st 1863, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation which proclaimed freedom for all slaves in the ten states which were in rebellion. At the time, when U.S. Secretary of State Seward took the document to the President to sign, Lincoln took a pen, and held it for a moment. He then removed his hand and dropped his pen. Lincoln turned to Seward and said, “I have been shaking hands since nine o’clock this morning and my right arm is almost paralyzed. If my name ever goes into history, it will be for this act, and my whole soul is in it.” He hesitated, then took the pen, and without wavering, took the document and boldly signed it!