Matthew 13:24-32 - An enemy did this

13:24-30

Jesus then told them another parable involving sowing. Again, Jesus will give the interpretation to the disciples later on, so we will delay the interpretation until then. “The kingdom of heaven is like” is used to introduce six of the seven parables in chapter 13. The word of God was sown, but at night the enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat. Weeds can look like normal plants in the early stages, and so it was with a weed called darnel, which was common in the region. However, as it grows the difference becomes clear. False teachings being sown are a normal part of church life. The workers were to do nothing about the weeds at the time, in case they mistakenly uprooted wheat as well. But at harvest time there would be a separation, and the weeds would be thrown into the fire.

13:31,32

Again we have “The kingdom of heaven is like...” Jesus likens it to a mustard seed, this is a very small seed, seemingly insignificant. Yet it grows into a large garden tree, and the birds of the air come to perch in its branches. The obvious lesson is that the kingdom of God can start small, seemingly insignificant, but will grow into something very significant. Various interpretations have been given about the “birds of the air”, but nothing is made of that here and it is perhaps best just to see it as meaning the tree was of such size that birds could perch on its branches. The more elaborate interpretations see a reference to the Gentiles coming into the kingdom.