A few weeks ago, the Parable of the Sower (Mt. 13, 37f) was read in all mainline Christian churches. Jesus, the greatest of all story-tellers, illustrates this parable con gusto. He describes a farmer going out to sow good seeds in his field. Under cover of night, an enemy sowed weeds among the wheat. And when the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the weeds appeared as well. Here is Jesus at his best: "The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his Kingdom all things that provoke offenses and all who do evil and throw them into blazing furnaces." (Mt. 13, 43)
Jesus speaks with his powerful imagery. Not us! Our job description is neither to change people nor to judge them. We're not the ones commissioned to distinguish who are weeds and who are wheat! This prerogative as well as the right to separate the good from the bad belongs to the Maker alone. I'm sure the job will be handled well in time. In Jesus' era, the well-intentioned Zealots would say: "We'll fix them all and we'll do it our way!" They were ready to cut down the weeds or those whom they thought were weeds and dispose of them. Church history puts all to shame. Huge bonfires in the past killed off millions. John-Paul II stunned the world by apologizing for his Church's excessses. He lamented the excess of the Inquisition when true believers put heretics to death. Donatists of the 4th century believed that the Catholic sacraments were invalid if administered by an unholy priest. Thousands called lapsi were condemned for offering incense before the image of the Emperor. Intolerance frightens me. Fundamentalism of any brand can easily fall in the shadow of ancient Donatists. Whenever we are judgmental of others who do not live up to our moral expectations, think of Jesus' Parable of the Sower. Wheat and Weeds grow in our hearts.
In our places of worship, I want to believe there is room for sinners, the superficial, the lukewarm, the indifferent, the imperfect. Let the Harvester pull out the weeds in our hearts first!
There was a saying that got popular during the Vietnam days if I remember correctly, "Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out." That's the mentality of a power drunken world.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right,weeds and wheat grow together and within us, so we should careful what we wish for. When we wish for it all to end, what will we look like? A weed? Or a fully grown wheat stalk, not too deeply rooted in the world, yet reaching mightily for heaven?
maybe the new motto should be, "Love them all, God will know His own."
God bless you Ronaldo!