SEPARATING THE WEED FROM THE WHEAT

Meditation for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
(Wisdom 12:13, 16-19; Rm 8:26-27; Mt 13:24-43)

Let us meditate on the parable of the weeds sown among wheat. The parable reveals the surprising mercy and patience of God, who allowed the good crops and bad seeds to grow together until the harvest time. The evil seed sneaks in later at the ‘dark hour’ and spreads across, trying to dominate. Think about the pressure that will be on the good seeds as the evil ones grow beside them! Seeing this, we would have loved a quick and immediate solution by the Master to uproot the weeds at once. But the Master says, “No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.” The depth of the mercy and patience of the Master for the good seed is such that He does not want to lose any one of them.

 

Meditate on how the harvest time is the ultimate moment of separation between the wheat and the weeds. At this moment, their fruits become what will distinguish each from the others, and the standard of separation. A good seed planted will be saved only if it bears the fruit for which it was intended. No matter how long it takes, evil must be exposed, for it bears forth nothingness. “By their fruits we shall know them” (Mt 7:16). This uncommon wisdom, according to the first reading, shows that God, who is sovereign in strength, judge with mildness and with great forbearance. “Through such works you have taught your people that the righteous man must be kind, and you have filled your sons with good hope because you give repentance for sins.”

 

How can the good bear fruit when they are competing and rubbing shoulders with evil? The recklessness and disorderliness of evil can influence and corrupt some good seeds. Thus, the good seed can only bear fruit by perseverance. However, the good seeds are not helplessly abandoned to the mercy of the evil seeds. God sends the Holy Spirit as the first of those who believe (Rm 8:23). “The Spirit helps us in our weakness…” And He preserves us from the corruption of evil. “The Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.” Therefore, while the wheat and the weed look alike on the surface, going through similar struggles, God’s chosen ones have an inner life of the Holy Spirit that makes the difference. No matter the spread of evil, and how weak we have become, we are always in the presence of God through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Let us open up our hearts and keep alive the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. Amen.

 

Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,

Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.

Sunday July 23, 2023.

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