In his familiar parable of the tares and the wheat, Jesus pointed out the great importance of the harvest hour. When the servants discovered that both tares and wheat were growing together in the field and reported this to the owner, he cautioned them to wait until the harvest before attempting to separate the valuable wheat and the useless tares, because a premature weeding process might result in destroying not only the tares but the wheat.
Bible commentaries point out that tares are so similar to wheat while both are in the blade that the two are almost indistinguishable. However, when both are ripe and in the ear, they can easily be distinguished. Hence the great importance of the harvest hour, the hour when the good can easily be separated from the bad.
Sincere students of Christian Science are eager to constantly separate spiritual sense from material sense and good, God-bestowed thoughts from false mortal suggestions and impulses. As Jesus pointed out in his parable, this dividing process can be done safely and effectively only at the time of harvest. How, then, can the harvest hour be precipitated in individual consciousness so that a clear distinction can be made between good and evil?
