Parable of the weeds
These Sundays the parables in the Gospel try to explain the kingdom of heaven: it is impossible. To do so we need an infinite number of parables. We should be very keen to know more about our homeland. The more we know about our goal the more we quicken our pace. It is important for us to fix our eyes on heaven, to look forward to our destination. Jesus has prepared a place for us and we really want to get there. When you plan a trip you look first where is the place you are going and then you figure out how to get there. We know where we are going and we know the way: Jesus is the way, the only way. We need to make sure we don’t get distracted, side tracked, lost or bogged down.
Today we have the parable of the weeds. It is easy to understand it. We find weeds everywhere. They upset gardeners and annoy us during our daily lives. They say a weed is a plant out of place. We come across problems all the time. Things normally go wrong or they turn in a different way to how we planned them. We complain about others, about evil in the world and we forget that our hearts are full of weeds. It is easier to see the weeds in our neighbor’s garden. Jesus explains the parable very well. It underlines the drama of our existence. Good and evil, angels and devils: this is what happens behind the scenes. There are not good and bad people; there is good and evil in our hearts, both combined together. And it is up to us to foster the good and shrink evil. At the end of the day evil is a lack of goodness.
The servants complain to the master about who has sown the weeds. He answers that the enemy has done it while we were asleep. We need to be vigilant. While we are lazing around the devil is at work. People complain to God asking why does he allow evil to exist? The same happened to Saint Teresa of Avila. She asked God the same question. He answered: I created you. The devil never stops; he is always at work, while we complain. The good news is that God is on our side and he is Almighty.
There are three temptations, self-deceptions, that hide evil from us. First indifference: ignore it, do nothing, let me live my life, it is not my business, I don’t care; we should care, we Christians are the good seed. Second arrogance: we are the good ones, we know better, they know nothing, they are ignorant, we know what is right; if we are close to God it is because of him. Third violence: uproot evil, belittle the opposition, ridicule them, abuse them through the social media, spread false news. The best way is what John Paul II did: spread goodness, go around the world talking about God, throw the good seed everywhere. It is more effective to plant than to root out, to sow than to burn.
Evil will always be with us. It shouldn’t worry us. God is patient, we should be patient, God is merciful, we should be too. Why does God allow weeds to grow along with the wheat? There are a number of reasons. First for the weeds to become wheat. God can do it. We have our own experience. There is always time for conversion, till the last moment. Some big saints were big sinners. Second for us to become better. In times of persecution we Christians become stronger. Third, God is the only one who can bring good out of evil. God uses evil people for his plans, for us to see that he is in control.
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