In this parable a man sows good seed, but while his servants sleep an enemy sows tares among the wheat. The tares were darnel, a harmful weed that looks very like wheat in its early growth, so the servants cannot safely pull them up. The master tells them to let both grow together until the harvest. Then the reapers will gather the tares to be burned and bring the wheat into his barn.
Jesus explains that the field is the world, the good seed are the sons of the kingdom, the tares are the sons of the evil one, and the harvest is the end of the age. God searches the heart and is not fooled by outward religion. The lesson warned about pretenders who honor God with their lips, and about false expectations of the day of the Lord. Its call was to examine ourselves, to confirm our calling and election, and to show the fruit of those born of God.