FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
(Part 119)
WEEDS AMONG THE WHEAT
July 27, 2024
Today’s gospel: Matthew 13:24-30
Jesus told his disciples the parable of the weeds among the wheat. In the Kingdom of heaven, there are both wheat and weeds, which co-exist in the Church, in one’s family, in the Christian community, and even within oneself. There is both good and bad in all. While we committed Christians would like to have only the good that is from God, there will be the bad as well, because the evil one is at work.
God, as “a man who sowed good seed in his field” (v.24b), created only good. Man is made in His image and likeness. The family looks to the Trinity and Mary which make up the divine family. The Christian community is a gathering of Jesus’ disciples. The Church is the body of Christ on earth.
But there is also the evil one at work, who schemes in darkness (though today evil is all out in the open) and sows weeds. “While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed seeds all through the wheat” (v.25). The enemy sows weeds among the wheat, so that both good and bad are in all. The weed is darnel, which is poisonous and looks like wheat in the first stage of growth. So we see a good person, but he will have bad in him, just as we see a really bad person, but who will still have some good in him. A Christian who meets Christ strives to live a righteous life, but he will forever be struggling with sin. A grievous sinner can still be saved.
This reality impacts on our evangelization and attempt to expand the Kingdom of God. Jesus tells his servants not to pull out the weeds as yet, as “you might uproot the wheat among them.” (v.29).
- As repentant Christians we know what is right and wrong. But if God were not to be patient with us, and not give us time to grow in righteousness, then we can easily be discouraged and even give up Christian ways, thinking our shortcomings will always condemn us.
- There will be dysfunction in our loving families, but parents are not to be extremely intolerant of wayward ways, but know that their children are in a process of growth, and fighting sin is a painstaking process.
- Christian community is supposed to be a place of authentic love and unity. But if right at the start we demand the living out of the highest standards, people we are evangelizing will be intimidated and will not even take the first step, knowing they fall short.
- The Church ought to be the communion of saints. But if sanctity is demanded for entry, people will not even take the first step, thinking the Church is not intended for such as them.
So all go through life with both the good and the bad. Life provides the time and effort to grow in the good and be rid of the bad. But it is a continuing process until the end of our life on earth. We make continuing choices on how we are to live our lives, in Christ or away from Christ.
And then there will be judgment. Those who allow the weeds to grow and choke the wheat will be “for burning” (v.30c), which is hell. Those who nurture the wheat while trying to overcome the weeds will be gathered into God’s barn (v.30d), which is heaven.
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