July 17th - Reflection

5th Sunday After Pentecost
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 (NRSV)
The parable of the weeds
He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he replied, 'No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'" ...

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

Reflection
Darnel is a weed that usually grows with wheat. Some refer to it as false wheat. Darnel looks so much like wheat that it is hard to tell the difference until the ear appears. The ears on wheat are so heavy that when they appear the wheat droops. The ears on darnel are lighter making the weed stand up tall. Wheat looks brown when ripe and darnel looks black when ripe. Darnel makes one feel drunk and can cause death.

Since the children of the kingdom and the children of the evil one can grow looking so much the same; it seems that we should refrain from making judgments ourselves and attempting to separate the weeds from the wheat as we grow.

The weeds in the end stand out above the wheat in height and color. They seem to wait and call attention to their selfish ways and claim a false superiority over the wheat. However, in the end, the differences show and permit their separation from the wheat. In the end the Truth is revealed and Jesus is revealed as the sower of the seeds of wheat. Through Jesus the wheat stands out as good and righteous.

This task of separation, however, is for God and his angels to collect the weeds and destroy them. The drunken effects of the weeds will no longer be present and the wheat will shine like the sun in the kingdom of God. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, as I live this life forgive my selfishness. Feed me with the waters of baptism, the Light of the Son, and grow in me a strong faith, that at the harvest I may joyfully shine like the sun in praise of you with all the other wheat. --- Amen