perseverance; Matthew 13:24-43; weeds; wheat; sower; harvest; harvesters; good seed; Archives

Weeds among the wheat

Weeds Among the Wheat – Matthew 13:24-43

When I read the first part of this Gospel, I came up with my “own” interpretation of who or what I though Jesus was referring to in the parable. However, further on in the Gospel Jesus himself outlines the “cast of characters.” He explains them as follows:

Sower of good seed – Jesus

Enemy – evil one

Good seed – children of the Kingdom

Weeds – children of the evil one

Harvest – end of the age

Harvesters – angels

Jesus’ explanation is what I like to refer to as “the big picture” – an explanation that humankind can understand and relate to. As students of the word and followers of Christ, we can’t stop there. God speaks to each one of us through Scripture. While pondering a particular verse several people can receive a different message. So how does this Gospel speak to you on an individual/personal level? Here’s how it spoke to me:

Sower – devout children of God

Enemy – evil one

Good seed – virtues of faith, hope and love

Weeds – turmoil/ suffering in life

Harvest – perseverance/light at the end of the tunnel

Harvesters – community of believers/brothers and sisters in Christ

True followers of Christ are sowers of good seed. They share their faith, hope in Christ and love their neighbors. They witness to the Truth by the way they live. This, in no way, means that true followers of Christ are shielded or spared from experiencing suffering in this life. Suffering takes many forms. It can be as simple as our over-thinking a situation, living with envy and jealousy in our hearts or feeling less than good enough – all situations that make us feel uneasy. Suffering can be as complex as the tragic loss of a loved one, a failed marriage or some form of abuse.

I can go on for days about what suffering can be but the point I want to make is this: even Christ, the Son of God was not immune from suffering. I think our first reaction to suffering is to make it go away or run away from it. What I hear Jesus telling us through this parable is suffering is a “right of passage” if you will. We shouldn’t try to make it go away or run away from it but sit through it. If there is anything Christ modeled for us after his crucifixion was perseverance through the Resurrection.

One thing I can attest to is the power of prayer. Through our family of believers (harvesters) interceding for us we gain the strength to endure and persevere (harvest) through suffering. Instead of losing faith and asking why we suffer, we should be asking ourselves “What is this meant to teach me?” “Am I being called to increased humility?” “Am I being called to trust more?” You get the point.

After meditating on the various ways we suffer, I came to the realization that our suffering stems from our expectations and our desire for certitude in life. We expect to grow old with our spouse, we expect that our lives should be “perfect” as depicted often on television, etc. We desire to live our lives free of doubt. Unfortunately, sometimes our lives don’t turn out as we planned and our deepest desires are never realized. Therein lies the source of our suffering.

Of course, God always provides me with a theme in my reading. Shortly after reading the Gospel I came across a meditation by Richard Rohr on the subject of certitude, which ties this all together.

Welcome Darkness and Mystery
Wednesday, July 19, 2017

There are commonly two kinds of human beings: there are people who want certitude and there are people who want understanding; and these two often cannot understand one another.

Those who demand certitude out of life will insist on it even if it doesn’t fit the facts. Logic has nothing to do with it. Truth has nothing to do with it. “Don’t bother me with the truth—I’ve already come to my conclusion!” If you need certitude, you will surround yourself with your conclusions.

The very meaning of faith stands in stark contrast to this mind-set. I think Jesus (or the Father or Spirit) is actually dangerous if taken outside of the Trinity. Jesus held separate from the other members of the Trinity implies that faith is a static concept instead of a dynamic and flowing one.

We’ve turned faith into certitude when, in fact, this Trinitarian mystery is whispering quite the opposite: we have to live in exquisite, terrible humility before reality. In this space, God gives us a spirit of questing, a desire for understanding; it seems to me it’s only this ongoing search for understanding that will create compassionate and wise people.

If you think you have a right to certitude, then show me where the Gospel ever promised or offered you that. If God wanted us to have evidence, rational proof, and perfect clarity, the incarnation of Jesus would have been delayed till the invention of audio recorders and video cameras.

Rational certitude is exactly what the Scriptures do not offer us. They offer us something much better and an entirely different way of knowing: an intimate relationship, a dark journey, a path where we must discover for ourselves that grace, love, mercy, and forgiveness are absolutely necessary for survival in an uncertain world. You only need enough clarity and ground to know how to live without certitude! Yes, we really are saved by faith. People who live in this way never stop growing, are not easily defeated, and frankly, are fun to live with.

You can tell mature and authentic faith by people’s ability to deal with darkness, failure, and non-validation of the ego—and by their quiet but confident joy! Infantile religion insists on certainty every step of the way and thus is not very happy.

Gateway to Silence:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. —Proverbs 3:5