Wheat

Wheat was the chief grain of the Promised Land, listed first when Moses described 'a land of wheat, and barley, and vines.' Its harvest came after the barley in late spring and was celebrated at the Feast of Weeks. Jesus drew deeply on its life cycle: an enemy sowed tares among the wheat, John the Baptist warned that Christ would gather his wheat and burn the chaff, and Jesus spoke of his own death with the words, 'Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.' Satan desired to sift Peter 'as wheat,' but Jesus prayed for him.

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Strongest connections in Scripture

John 12 Matthew 13

Key Passages

Except a Corn of Wheat Fall

John 12:23-24

Jesus explains that his coming death is like a seed buried in the ground - the way to a great harvest of life.

A²³nd Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

²⁴ Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

The Wheat and the Tares

Matthew 13:24-30

Good and evil grow side by side until the harvest, when God himself will separate them.

A²⁴nother parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

²⁵ But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. ²⁶ But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. ²⁷ So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? ²⁸ He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? ²⁹ But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.