SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME A

[cappie]

God is always teaching His people, as we hear in today’s First Reading. And what does He want us to know? That He has care for all of us; that though He is a God of justice, even those who defy and disbelieve Him may hope for His mercy if they turn to Him in repentance.

Jesus lived in an agrarian society, so it isn’t surprising that he used farming metaphors as concrete images to explain the mysterious nature of the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of heaven is like someone who has sowed good seed, yet an enemy has come and sowed weeds among the wheat. The kingdom of heaven is messy and complicated and will encounter opposition. In fact, evil exists in the world, and may not be easily rooted out. As the householder wisely advises his servants, it is not a good idea to pull out the weeds, for their roots are entangled with the wheat and pulling them out will damage the crop. Jesus explains that at the end of the age, the angelic reapers will collect the weeds and throw them into the fire, while the wheat will be gathered into God’s kingdom.

We wonder, along with the servants in the story, where these weeds came from. Why does God allow evil to grow in God’s kingdom? What can we do about it?

Scholars tell us that the weeds in the parable are likely darnel, a weedy grass that looks like wheat until it matures. While the plants in the field are young, the good wheat and the invasive weeds are indistinguishable and intertwined. Then the heads of the wheat droop over, while the heads of the weeds stand up straight. The image is of humility and pride. Is it up to the humble, true followers of Jesus to identify and destroy their proud, hypocritical neighbours? Is the destiny of wheat and weed fixed, or is there a possibility of redemption? There is a difference between weeds and people. We might argue that weeds are weeds forever, while people, if not torn out by the roots, might be redeemed by God’s grace. We cannot be certain who is good and who is evil.

In the parable, the householder says, “In gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest.” He counsels patience and faith in God’s justice. It is important not to damage the roots of the wheat. A good steward must do what is best for all, even if the weeds will survive in the short term.

What does this narrative tell us about the values and culture of the storytellers?

We acknowledge the presence of evil in the world,

While evil may be redeemed, that redemption may not happen in this world,

It is not our job to judge, and

We believe in God’s judgment at the last day.

We sing in today’s Psalm, God is slow to anger and abounding in kindness. He is just, Jesus assures us—evildoers and those who cause others to sin will be thrown into the fiery furnace at the end of the age. But by His patience God is teaching us that above all He desires repentance and the gathering of all nations to worship Him and to glorify His name.

Even though we don’t know how to pray as we ought, the Spirit will intercede for us, Paul promises in today’s second reading. But first, we must turn and call upon Him. We must commit ourselves to letting the good seed of His Word bear fruit in our lives. So, we should not be deceived or lose heart when we see weeds among the wheat—truth and holiness mixed with error, injustice, and sin.

These stories come together in our hearts and our communities in the season of Ordinary Time.  Through the parable of the weeds among the wheat, Jesus reminds us that we live in a hostile world, that good and bad are intermingled.  For now, He makes His sun rise on the good and the bad , that we must live cooperatively for the good of all, and that we ought to leave judgment to God.  

 

 

 

[BarbTherese]

Thank you