28. “He told them, ‘An enemy did this.’“His workers asked him, ‘Do you want us to pull out the weeds?’
29. “He replied, ‘No. If you pull out the weeds, you may pull out the wheat with them.
30. Let both grow together until the harvest. When the grain is cut, I will tell the workers to gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned. But I’ll have them bring the wheat into my barn.’ ”
31. Jesus used another illustration. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone planted in a field.
32. It’s one of the smallest seeds. However, when it has grown, it is taller than the garden plants. It becomes a tree that is large enough for birds to nest in its branches.”
33. He used another illustration. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman mixed into a large amount of flour until the yeast worked its way through all the dough.”
34. Jesus used illustrations to tell the crowds all these things. He did not tell them anything without illustrating it with a story.
35. So what the prophet had said came true:“I will open my mouth to illustrate points.I will tell what has been hidden since the world was made.”
36. When Jesus had sent the people away, he went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain what the illustration of the weeds in the field means.”
37. He answered, “The one who plants the good seeds is the Son of Man.
38. The field is the world. The good seeds are those who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those who belong to the evil one.
39. The enemy who planted them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The workers are angels.
40. Just as weeds are gathered and burned, so it will be at the end of time.
41. The Son of Man will send his angels. They will gather everything in his kingdom that causes people to sin and everyone who does evil.
42. The angels will throw them into a blazing furnace. People will cry and be in extreme pain there.
43. Then the people who have God’s approval will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen!
44. “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field. When a man discovered it, he buried it again. He was so delighted with it that he went away, sold everything he had, and bought that field.
45. “Also, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant who was searching for fine pearls.