Florida Catholic | Sunday Word

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The seven parables

July 20, 2008 :: Wis 12:13, 16-19; Ps 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16; Rom 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-43 or 13:24-30

MSGR. MICHAEL V. REED | CATHEDRAL OF THE SACRED HEART, PENSACOLA

Jesus proclaims seven parables in Chapter 13 of the Gospel of Matthew which give us a picture of how different the kingdom of heaven will be from what we have come to expect here on earth. There is probably some importance for Matthew to the fact that there are seven of these parables and that “seven” in Jewish tradition signifies “fullness and completeness.” In this way, the seven parables are intended to give us a complete and not just partial picture of the kingdom of heaven. So we have the parables of the sower, the weeds, the mustard seed, the leaven, the found treasure, the precious pearl and the net. Together they will illustrate Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom of heaven.

It is also noteworthy that the word “kingdom” in Matthew and the New Testament is a Greek word “basileia” which becomes the word used for a church of special historical and religious significance: basilica. In essence, a basilica is supposed to be a physical manifestation of the kingdom of heaven on earth. It is to be a unique place of justice – a beautiful witness of love, mercy and every good thing God wants for his people.

In the parable of the wheat and the weeds, what do we learn about the kingdom of heaven? What are we, who have received the life-saving and salvific message of Jesus which is described as the wheat, to do with the weeds, i.e., the messages, teachings and philosophies that threaten, jeopardize and distort truth?

My dad taught me the technique of pulling weeds when I was a young boy. He stressed that weeds were an inevitable part of reality. He even pointed out that the dandelion, despite its flower-like appearance, was indeed a weed. And we recognize how accepted ideas (i.e., weeds that are contrary to Jesus’ teachings) have become in our world. How many times has it been said, “It’s not a life; you don’t have to wait; it’s not a sin; it’s OK under your circumstances to choose evil; hate your enemies; Jesus didn’t really mean that?” These are just some of the weeds that continue to creep into the way we think and the way we live.

God is his tremendous mercy knows how hard it is to hold onto his truth and particularly the good news of his son. He is very much aware of the many destructive messages that bombard us each day.

In the parable of the weeds and the wheat, Jesus affirms and encourages us to do everything in our power to nurture the wheat so it will grow and flourish in preparation for the harvest. Jesus does not want the weeds to destroy the hope and promise of eternal life he has given us. Indeed, God’s patience is so beyond our understanding that even in the end, he will separate the weeds from the wheat so that the wheat might live.

In the meantime, we are not to give up or give in. We are to do our part to protect the wheat from the weeds as best we can with the assurance that when the final day comes, our efforts will be greeted with eternal reward.

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