"Where have the weeds come from?"
Sunday Word: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/072014.cfm
What purpose do weeds serve? Well, I suppose there are some but don't we do all we can to eliminate them from our gardens, our sidewalks, our flowers and orchards, our farms. Tons of money is spent on developing fertilizers and ways to prevent weeds from growing and chocking off important energy and life from more desirable plants.
Yet, in our Gospel this Sunday (below) Jesus teaches in a parable: ". . . His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' he replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest . . ." Hmm, not the most attractive garden so, as always, this parable has a deeper spiritual meaning. We learn it is a reference to the end harvest - the ultimate time when Christ will return and final justice will be meted out.
In the meantime, we have a constant chance for God's mercy to touch our lives and hearts and turn our weeds into healthy wheat. This call to conversion is the essence of the Christian Gospel. The truth is that the good, the bad, and the ugly always live together but hopefully those among the good can influence through word and deed, and the grace of God, to turn away from evil and embrace God's goodness and truth. Look at the Church or any human organization and we find a host of players.
Where do I fit? More to come . . .
Mt 13: 24 - 30
Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying:
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened
to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.
When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?’
He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’
His slaves said to him,
‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
“First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened
to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.
When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?’
He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’
His slaves said to him,
‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
“First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
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