‘He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingly Rule of Heaven has become like to a situation where a man sowed good seed in his field, but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares (darnel) also among the wheat, and went away.'
‘He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingly Rule of Heaven has become like --” (aorist passive indicative)'. The tense demonstrates that this describes the present state of the Kingly Rule of Heaven. Compare for this Matthew 13:31; Matthew 13:33, although there it is ‘is like' which is more neutral. Also for ‘the Kingly Rule of Heaven is like --' compare Matthew 13:44-45; Matthew 13:47. This phrase unites the six parables.
The phrase cannot possibly refer to what each time directly follows ‘like to'. Thus for example here the man cannot represent the Kingly Rule of Heaven. Nor indeed does the field. The field is the world. It is the wheat, the ‘sons of the Kingly Rule', which make up the Kingly Rule of Heaven. So in each case where it is used the phrase ‘like to --' must be seen as referring either to a part of the following phrase (in this case the good seed in the field), or to the whole of the story that follows (the sowing of the good seed, the growing of the seed and the harvest of the seed), or to the end result (the gathered in good seed).
Some lay stress on the whole process, the sowing of the good seed, the growing of the seed and the harvest of the seed. Others lay stress on the end result, the wheat gathered into the barn. In view of the parable of the sower, in which concentration was on the process, we might see both as likely, and this is confirmed in the interpretation of the parable of the tares/darnel where we have ‘the sons of the Kingly Rule' who are the good seed from the beginning, with the darnel (‘the sons of the evil one') being gathered out from the Kingly Rule because they are not part of it, a Kingly Rule which is thus in existence prior to the establishing of the final Kingly Rule of the Father. But the darnel is never a part of the Kingly Rule of Heaven. It only gives the appearance of being so. Here we have quite clearly expressed the fact of the present Kingly Rule of Heaven consisting even now of all who are true ‘children of the Kingly Rule', which will be followed in the future by the future Kingly Rule in Heaven, the one merging into the other.
Bearded darnel is very similar to wheat and difficult to distinguish until the wheat comes to ear. Then the difference becomes very clear. The darnel matures with a dark head. The wheat produces ears of wheat. Interestingly the act of sowing darnel among wheat was forbidden and punishable under Roman Law indicating that just this kind of situation did sometimes occur.
‘While men slept.' The significance of this is that it brings out the surreptitious nature of what happened. It was underhand and done in the darkness.
‘His enemy came.' The action is peevish and deceitful. He does not destroy the crops or spread salt on the field, but rather sows what will for a long time deceive those involved. It is the work of the great Deceiver. (He is limited in what he can do. He is not permitted to destroy the good seed - compare Job 1:12; Job 2:6). Then he slips away. He wants to remain in the dark. These are the works of darkness.