THEME: IF GOD CAN WAIT; WE SHOULD TOO!

(Wisdom 12: 13, 16-19; Roman 8:26-27; Matthew 13:24-43)

The gospel reading of last Sunday started Jesus’ ministry of the proclamation of the kingdom of heaven using parables – ‘earthly stories with heavenly meanings’. Having narrated the parable of the sower and its explanations, Jesus goes further this Sunday to tell us more other parables, – that of the wheat and weed, the mustard seed and the yeast. However, our reflection will concentrate on the parable of the wheat and weed.

In this parable, a land owner planted some good seeds (wheat) in his field but later the enemy sowed in (weeds) in-between the wheat and went away. When the servants of the land owner noticed this anomaly, they demanded permission from their master to weed out the weed. But to their greatest surprise their master objected and told them to allow the wheat and weed to grow together until the harvest time.

On the other hand, the parable of the wheat and weed highlights the life of each and every one of us. There is something of the ‘wheat’ in each of us and something of the’ weed’ in each of us as well. Should God destroy us because of the weed in us?  Or should he give us time so that the ‘weed’ in us can be overtaken by that which is ‘wheat’? Surely, God in his infinite patience does not give up on anyone; he rather gives us time to make a choice of change.

Therefore, we should not take for granted God’s merciful patience which this parable portrays; rather, it should move us towards a positive change, to forsake whatever negative in our lives. We also have to give up the spirit of premature judgment and hasty condemnations of others which is contrary to God’s mercy. Again, we also need to develop the patience of God in our lives.

God doesn’t give up on anyone. We should not give up on others and we should not give up on ourselves either. Therefore, as we still have the graceful time with us today, may we use it accordingly to respond to God’s merciful patience calling us to positive change of attitude, giving God the first place in our lives.

Dear sisters and brothers, the parable makes us to understand that, God’s judgment is not hasty but a must-come-event at the end. On that day the weed will finally be separated from the wheat, the evil from the good and all will be demanded to give account of how they lived their lives.

Let anyone with ears listen!

HAPPY SUNDAY!