What is the meaning of Matthew 13:36-43?

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 13:36-43 KJV)

William Burkitt’s Commentary

The parable of the tares of the field, Christ is pleased to explain to his disciples after this manner. The person sowing good seed was himself, The Son of man; who first planted the gospel: the field in which the seed was sown was the world; that is, the church in the world: the good seed, called, The children of the kingdom, are sincere Christians: the tares called, The children of the wicked one, are profane sinners, and unsound hypocrites: the enemy is the devil, the harvest is the end of the world, and the angels are the reapers.

Learn, 1. That the mixture of the tares and the wheat, of the righteous and the wicked must and shall remain in the church unto the end of the world.

2. That in the end of the world the angels shall perform the work of separations, gathering the righteous from among the wicked: when everyone’s harvest shall be according to his fruit; The righteous shining in the kingdom of their Father, the wicked cast into a furnace of fire.