An enemy has done this

 

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

 

- Matthew 13:24–30 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued in His dialogue with the Pharisees, who had accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan (see readings from Monday and Tuesday),  He said, "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.  So shall it also be with this wicked generation."  While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."  But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

 

  Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' "  In today's reading the lectionary jumps forward, as we've recently read the beginning of chapter 13, when Jesus begins to teach for the crowds in parables.  See this reading, and this one.  So, His first parable was the parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23), and here He begins a second.  My study Bible claims that this parable in today's reading builds on the previous parable of the Sower.  Here Jesus gives attention to the enemy who has sown his seed among the seed of Christ.  It explains that, as falsehood came after truth, and false prophets came after the true prophets, so the Antichrist will come after Christ.  Just as the weeds (the tares, a plant which resembles wheat but is indigestible for human beings) first appear similar to wheat, so the devil fashions his lies to resemble the truth.  That the devil sows while men slept indicates that heresy and lies creep in when people are apathetic.  Additionally, my study Bible remarks that this parable also explains why the Church neither condemns nominal members, nor judges those outside the Church (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).  Just as wheat would be destroyed in weeding out the tares, so also, many people who might ultimately find salvation would otherwise be lost if condemned before Christ's judgment. 

 

In yesterday's reading and commentary we discussed the spiritual battleground that is the world in the context of Christ's teaching about the demonic and the Holy Spirit.  He spoke in that reading (see above) about a house that is swept clean and put in order -- using this as an illustration of exorcism.  But if that house is not dedicated and filled with the Holy Spirit, that demons comes back, finds it empty and clean, and brings back seven more spirits, so the resulting condition of that person is worse than the first.   Here Jesus uses the illustration of seed to teach us about the influence of that which is planted by Christ, and that which is not.  As my study Bible points out, heresies are often couched in half-truths rather than obvious lies; this is in keeping with the deceptive nature of fallacy.  What sounds good is often "too good to be true," as the old saying goes.  Without learning how to recognize spiritual falsehood, we are open to the possibility of deception.  However, when it comes to the judgment at the end of the age, Christ allows all to grow together.  In the first place, as my study Bible notes, judgment of humankind only belongs to Christ, and that is possible only through the depth and breadth and width of the knowledge of Christ.  In our lives, every moment is a kind of slice of reality and the choices we make, but nothing stands still.  We make choices and continue to grow toward Christ, or away, and we always have new opportunities for choice and repentance, return.  If the seed sown by Christ is His word and teaching, then we have to understand that those spiritual forces that oppose Christ will also be sowing their own seed.  While the good wheat is a blessing, healthy for humans (and that which forms the Eucharist for us), the deceptive tares don't give us what we need.  They don't feed us true spiritual food good for our souls or our well-being.  But they "look like" the wheat.  We might learn through experience, and the bad results from consuming the tares, but we'd do better to pay close attention to the wheat, so that we know it and recognize it.  The Church also explains and names heresies so that we recognize the tares and how they deceive us when they're not really good for us to consume.  Again, a colloquial expression also helps in this case, "What will you swallow?"  Again, in yesterday's commentary we discussed good and evil, the influence of angels and demons, as energies.  We can participate in these energies (or they participate in us) and they become a part of who we are.  We can cling to grace, the work of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to know Christ, to find His good seed, to grow as good wheat (John 14:26).  But we need that help and it's found, importantly, in the collective wisdom of the Church and her Tradition, which includes the Scriptures.  That living Tradition is formed and shaped by and through the Holy Spirit, and to the Spirit we always pray in all things, and at the beginning of every service (see the Orthodox Prayer to the Holy Spirit here).  But while we live in this world, we have wheat and tares growing side by side.  This is an illustration that applies to truth and falsehood, what's good for us or deceptive, and yet it also applies to human beings and the judgment at the end of the age.  Let us at least understand where we are, how this world is working in this stage, and the role of Christ and the Church within it, especially the good seed of the Sower.  What do you want to grow?  What do you want to consume?  How will you find the truth of the one from the other for your life?  Where and how do we find and dwell in that kingdom while we yet live in this world?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father

 

 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house.  And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."  He answered and said to them:  "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.   The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.  Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

- Matthew 13:36-43 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus gave another parable to the crowds, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."  Another parable He spoke to them:  "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."  All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:  "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world." 

 

  Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house.  And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."  He answered and said to them:  "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.  The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.  Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  Jesus gives to the disciples in private the explanation of the parable He told to the crowds, just as He had also done for the parable of the Sower, the first of the parables He began teaching.  See Matthew 13:1-23.  In today's reading, Jesus is explaining to the disciples the parable of the tares of the field, found in Friday's reading.   A note in my study Bible on this parable explains that it builds on the previous parable of the Sower, but here the focus is on the enemy who has sown his seed among the seed (or word) of Christ.  My study Bible says that as falsehood came after truth and false prophets came after the true prophets, so the Antichrist will come after Christ.  Just as the weeds in the parable appear similar to the wheat, so the devil fashions his lies to resemble the truth, as is the case in heresies.  That the devil sows while men slept indicates that heresy and lies creep in when people are apathetic. 

 

Jesus' explanation of the parable of the Wheat and Tares makes it very clear that He speaking about judgment.  As we reviewed in the commentary on the reading in which He first gave the parable (here), there is a type of weed which closely resembles wheat, but it's toxic for human beings.  So, first of all, we could think of the seed as that which grows something; there is a  clear message here about what type of crop is produced.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned His disciples of false prophets to come, in what is a parallel teaching to this parable.  He said, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 7:15-19).  We can see the parallels, even in the allusion to the trees that don't bear good fruit being thrown into the fire.  But let's think of this important metaphor of Christ that He used so often, about the seeds that spring up into "good" or "bad" plants.  If we take this understanding of the enemy's seeds as lies that mislead and trick people (especially if, like heresies, they bear a resemblance to truth, such as in half-truths), then what we hear from Jesus is how building our lives on lies or partial truths leads to a bad outcome for us as persons, in the wholeness of who we are.  So the foundations of the soul, of real identity, also depend upon how we're nurtured, what we base on own growth upon.  Like plants, human beings are in a constant state of growth or change, one way or another.  We go in one direction or another, and it all depends upon how we're nurtured and what start we give ourselves each day.  In another way of looking at the parable, we might take it that we want to make sure we're ingesting the good wheat (as in the Eucharist), the things that nourish us for our best spiritual health in life, because this determines the growth of the soul.  In light of Christ's strong assurance here of a judgment to come, and the giving of His interpretation of the parable, He asks us yet again to take this quite seriously, because our very lives truly depend upon it.  The growth of the soul in life is something many people find it easy to forget about, given how busy modern life can be.  We find ourselves consumed with cares regarding work, family, keeping our lives and loved ones safe and in good care, our housing, and all manner of things we are constantly demanded to pay attention to.  It's so easy to lose focus on that slow growing, quiet inner life that concerns the state of the soul.  But nevertheless, there it is, and there it always is.  People notice us hardening our hearts; we can get to the place where we don't recognize what we're doing to ourselves in the face of these "necessities" of life.  But Christ has taught us that there is really one thing most needful, one thing most necessary, in the story of Martha and Mary (found here at Luke 10:38-42).  In light of all of His teachings, we can say that when we forget about this most needful thing, our lives are upside down, disordered in terms of what is most necessary for us.  At this time, many of us are gearing up for the period of the holidays, in which we will be bombarded with all the things that seem "necessary" for those holidays.  Black Friday, the time of the great sales in stores in the United States, is already being advertized -- all a part of the rush for things we "need" for the holidays.  But on the contrary, it's the time (in the Northern Hemisphere at any rate) when nature is slowing down, getting ready for the needful rest of winter, the earth's necessary Sabbath.  We should perhaps keep in mind that the holidays we celebrate are "holy days," and the very reason for celebration should not be lost. We give thanks to God for our blessings.  It may be a national holiday, but its roots are in our faith.  Of course, the same is true for the Nativity of our Lord, Christmas.  From the earliest times of the Church, the great and most celebrated holiday was Easter, the commemoration and celebration of Resurrection.  Christmas has been built up into the major holiday it is to a great extent by advertising and sales. We're all encouraged to give, but the hastening of so many things to prepare, to buy, to fix, to show, and all that goes with it, often seems to miss the entire point of the festival and the season.  The little family in Bethlehem, taking refuge in a cave used for farm animals, should serve to remind us that love, joy, grace, and God's glory in the message of the angels are in the midst of all of it, and this is in contrast to the anxieties that are stoked in the ways we celebrate.  It's also in tremendous contrast to the sense of competition and comparison it seems to create.  Many people are lonelier than ever at this time, or perhaps feeling want in the face of all the celebration that others seem to be doing.  With our social media what it is now, this is ever-increasing as studies confirm.  So let us remember, as we go into this "quiet time" toward winter that we need our Sabbath as does the earth and all of creation; and we need to remember God.  Remember the good growth Christ urges us toward, and what we need for the kind of persons He calls us to be, for nurturing that in ourselves and in our families, friends, communities.  Remember anything we have to be grateful for and give thanks to God, remember Christ the infant who would give Himself for the life of the world.   Let us put aside time for the things which are most necessary, so that we may grow into the "good trees" bearing the good fruits Christ desires.  Let us set aside time for the things which are most important and needful of all, and order our priorities His way.  For righteousness is about good order, right relations to ourselves and all else as Christ would order them.  Let us make time for the good seed He sows in us.

 

 

 

 

The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way

 

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' "

 

- Matthew 13:24-30 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave the explanation of the parable of the Sower to His disciples.  He told them, "Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is he who received seed by the wayside.  But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.  Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.  But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

 

  Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' "  My study Bible comments that this parable builds upon the previous parable of the sower.  Here Jesus gives attention to the enemy, who has sown his seed among the seed of Christ.  We should make clear what a tare is: it is a kind of semi-wild plant, a weed that looks like wheat, but it is very difficult for human beings to digest, toxic, and therefore unfit for consumption.   (Some suggest it is darnel.)  My study Bible explains that as falsehood came after truth and false prophets came after the true prophets, so the Antichrist will come after Christ.  Just as the weeds first appear similar to wheat, so the devil fashions his lies to resemble the truth.  That the devil sows while men slept indicates that heresy and lies creep in when people are apathetic.  Additionally, my study Bible comments that this parable explains why the Church does not condemn nominal members, and neither does it judge those who are outside the Church (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).  Just as wheat would be destroyed in weeding out the tares, so also, many people who might ultimately find salvation would otherwise be lost if condemned before Christ's judgment. 

 

Interestingly, there's another aspect about the type of weed described in today's parable that serves as a metaphor for heresy, and that is that this crop which looks like wheat acts like a kind of parasite.  Its seeds survive by growing among wheat, and falling into wheat harvests.  According to the article cited above, because of modern harvesting techniques, this weed has virtually been eliminated in most of the developed world, but still exists among wheat crops elsewhere.  Church Fathers have long described evil or the demonic as parasitical, as that which does not have true value or substance, but is sustained nonetheless in creation until the end of the age and the judgment of Christ.  Thus, we have another important parallel to the parable.  It's essential also that we understand that so often lies are half-truths, misleading statements or beliefs disguised as truth and given for human "consumption."  In fact, half-truths are also lies.  Like the weeds or tares in the parable, they resemble truth, but they deceive.  They act parasitically among those who would seek true faith, misleading and deterring others from finding Christ who seek Him.  This is why, throughout the history of the Church, Councils were called to debate theological questions, and to identify heresy so that people would be aware of them and understand the falsehood embodied therein.  Just as children from time immemorial have been warned of the dangers of seduction of various kinds, of evil intent lurking in a welcoming disguise, so lies and half-truths are things we need to be wary of -- to understand and to avoid because of their consequences.  We live in a modern world in which there are many good things seemingly promised by false or misleading values.  Consumption of every ostensibly good material thing doesn't necessarily fill the soul with happiness; wealth is useful but it doesn't suffice for the things that come only from God that feed the soul.  Nothing substitutes for our path to God, and yet heresies, lies, and half-truths would deter us with false promises.  "Enter by the narrow gate," Jesus taught, "for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it" (Matthew 7:13).  Perhaps the representation of false promises is best illustrated in addiction of all kinds, wherein whatever the addictive substance -- be it drugs or gambling or another type of consumption -- seems to promise comfort, or something good.  And yet it leads to a kind of slavery, a hell of its own (see John 8:34).  These are the weeds that grow among the wheat, the things that distract us from what is for our own true good.  Of course, this parable is one that also illustrates judgment, the understanding that we live with the wicked or evil, like "sheep in the midst of wolves," and in this light also serves to make us aware that we need discernment and caution in life ("be wise as serpents and harmless as doves"; Matthew 10:16).   Jesus will offer us an explanation of this parable a bit further along in chapter 13, so readers will be able to understand what He teaches the disciples about it.  Let us for now simply think for ourselves that the picture Jesus paints of our lives and our world is one in which we are not going to have a life that is "perfect" in the sense that all enemies or all bad or evil things will no longer exist.  On the contrary, He's calling us -- perhaps alerting us together with the disciples -- to the lives we're called to live in His name, and by following His word, the good seed.  Our calling is to live as His followers in this world, the one He paints through this illustration of the parable in today's reading.  We are called to an awareness of ourselves, who we are as His followers, and what He asks us to produce, even in the midst of life in which we grow side by side with tares, the bad weed that resembles the good wheat.  The kingdom of heaven has given us the good seed.  It's ours to make the best of it by cultivating the good crops it may produce in us, despite the tares. 

 

 

 

The servants said to him, "Do you want us then to go and gather them up?" But he said, "No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them"

 

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

 

- Matthew 13:24-30 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus explained the parable of the Sower (see earlier readings from Tuesday and Wednesday):   "Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is he who received seed by the wayside.  But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.  Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.  But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

 

  Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"  My study Bible comments that this parable builds on the previous parable of the sower.  Here, it says, Christ gives attention to the enemy who has sown his seed among the seed of Christ.   As falsehood came after truth and false prophets came after the true prophets, so also the Antichrist will come after Christ.  The weeds first appear similar to wheat in this parable -- and so the devil crafts lies to resemble the truth.   That the devil sows while men slept indicates that heresy and lies creep in when people are apathetic, my study Bible adds.  This parable also explains why the Church neither condemns nominal members, nor judges those outside the Church (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).  As wheat would be destroyed in weeding out the tares, so also, there are those who might ultimately find salvation but would be otherwise lost if condemned before the judgment of Christ. 

 

 Today's parable given by Christ seems to round out some of the recent teachings we've read in the Gospel of Matthew lately.  There has been a lot of emphasis by Christ on where our hearts are, on the importance of loving God past the minimum, so to speak, and past the kind of legalism of the Pharisees that couldn't see the spirit of the law for the letter.  Most recently, we've been introduced to parables through the parable of the Sower, speaking about Christ's word that He sows among us and what we do with it, what kind of ground it falls upon in us, how it's nurtured, or not.  We've focused on faith and our endurance in faith.  But here there's another fullness offered that takes us into a new dimension about faith, and that is how important it is that it not be "rooted out" by putting too fine a point on perfection.  Every care must be taken so that those who do have faith are nurtured as much as possible, even to the point of tolerating the seeds of the enemy if that is necessary in order to prove the faithful.  It's a reminder of the story in Genesis about Abraham's dialogue with God in Genesis 18:16-33.  This is the story in which God reveals a plan to bring justice to Sodom and Gomorrah.  But Abraham starts questioning God first:  "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?"  When God indicates that would work to spare the city, Abraham begins to bargain:  "Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?"  When the answer comes that God would spare the city, Abraham bargains God all the way down to but ten righteous people, and for those ten God would also spare the city.  So in this story about refraining from uprooting the unrighteous for the sake of the faithful, we also get a similar answer that teaches us about the preciousness of faith -- or perhaps we should say, the preciousness of faithful people.  Clearly, to God, these precious faithful are worthy of sparing all for their sake.  When we get impatient with the world for the things we see that we feel are wrong, we should take heart and ponder this story.  What, really, would our lives be like if we all got instant justice?  Have there been times when you have made a mistake, or lapsed in your faith?   At the present stage of my life, my mistakes are uncountable, and the things I once believed that I now think were wrong are also uncountable and past my memory capacities!  In short, we should be thankful for God patience, and the mercy that gives us more time and a space to reconsider.  Life may seem at times very difficult because of all the wrong things we see in the world, the things that make people's lives difficult and harsh, the wicked and evil things people can do to one another.  But God has a wisdom and a foresight beyond our own, and we should be thankful for that mercy, and the breathing space to grow and come to maturity.  Above all, we should understand this as a way to nurture the faithful, for real justice might also shock us for the things we don't know and are hidden from our understanding.  Let us be grateful for the wisdom of God, and the judgment that comes in the fullness of time, and not before it.

The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way

 

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

 

- Matthew 13:24-30 

 

In chapter 13, Jesus has begun to speak to the multitudes in parables.  He began with the parable of the Sower.   Then the disciples asked Him why He speaks in parables, and He explained His use of parables to them.  Finally, in yesterday's reading, He explained to the disciples meaning of the parable of the Sower.  He taught them,  "Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is he who received seed by the wayside.  But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.  Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.  But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

 

Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"  This is called the parable of the Wheat and the Tares.  It builds on the previous parable of the Sower (see above).  Tares are a kind of weed that resembles wheat.  My study Bible comments that here Christ gives attention to the enemy who has sown his seed among the seed of Christ.  As falsehood came after truth and false prophets came after the true prophets, my study Bible says, so the Antichrist will come after Christ.  Just as the weeds first appear to be similar to the wheat, so the devil fashions his lies to resemble the truth.  That the devil sows while men slept indicates that heresy and lies creep in when people are apathetic.  The parable also explains why the Church neither condemns nominal members, nor judges those outside the Church (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).  Just as wheat would be destroyed in weeding out the tares, so also, many people who might ultimately find salvation would otherwise be lost if condemned before Christ's judgment.  

Let's note that Jesus prefaces His parable (and subsequent parables) with "The kingdom of heaven is like . . .."   He's indicating that He is teaching about the reality of the Kingdom He brings into the world, and what we read in the Gospels is, in fact, the gospel of the kingdom of heaven.  That is, it is the great announcement to the world about the reality of this Kingdom that He brings.  The word translated as "gospel" was already in use long before it was used for the message of Jesus.  "Gospels" or εὐαγγέλια/evangelia in the Greek were announcements made about kingdoms in the worldly sense, such as the announcement of Caesar, what great military victories he had, and what great things he would do for the world.  So this announcement is about another Kingdom, the kingdom of heaven, and what that kingdom is like, what it will bring into the world and to its nominal members.  In today's reading, Jesus teaches us about the good crop, and the seed sown by an enemy.  My study Bible offers two different perspectives on this parable, as the Church and her theologians have come to view and to understand various meanings.  One thing is clear, that the distinction between these two types of fruit or crop is hard for human beings to make.  The tares only are truly understood in their effects:  a weed which is not good for human consumption.  In this sense, we can compare it, as my study Bible does, to word and truth that Christ teaches; heresy (as the most effective and misleading lies do) resembles truth in some sense.  Often something that sounds good turns out to be anything but.  We need the experience of spiritual understanding to comprehend the difference.  My study Bible points out that Jesus says the seed of the enemy was sown "while men slept" -- that is, when we are apathetic or not paying attention.  Sometimes we're taught not to pay attention, because it's more convenient.  An acceptable lie doesn't seem to make waves, when the truth just might ask us for something different, or demand our attention in ways that are uncomfortable.  What is clear from the parable is the difficulty of sorting the false from the true, and how the false resembles the true, but is actually sown by an enemy, one with bad intent.  But clearly true judgment comes at the time of the harvest, a metaphor for the judgment that is to come.  If we understand "seed" to be the word (as expressed in the parable of the Sower), then we also might come to understand that the spiritual fruits we produce depends upon what kind of seed is sown in the heart, and takes root within ourselves.  Thus our own diligence becomes more significant; that is, our wakefulness and alertness to what is true and what is false, our own concern as opposed to apathy.  Let us notice how Jesus' parable illustrates at once a principle of tolerance and also of discernment.  The weeds and wheat will grow together until the time of the harvest, so as not to disturb the good wheat.  At that time it will be the job of the reapers to separate them.  But it is up to us to understand the parable and develop a watchfulness about what is actually harmful, but looks like good wheat.  Elsewhere Jesus has taught us that we shall know "by their fruits" (Matthew 7:15-20).   Let us learn from His teaching.

The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way

Wheat cropping, Byzantine manuscript miniature, Skylitzi archive

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, "Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

- Matthew 13:24-30

In yesterday's reading, Jesus explained to His disciples the parable of the sower (which we read He preached to the crowds in Tuesday's reading):  "Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is he who received seed by the wayside.  But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.  Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.  But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, "Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' "  My study bible comments that this parable builds on the previous parable of the sower.  In the parable of the sower, Jesus spoke of the difficulties that get in the way of the production of good fruit from the word, the seed cast by the sower.  But in this parable, Jesus gives attention to the enemy, who has sown his seed among the seed of Christ.   My study bible says that as falsehood came after truth and false prophets came after the true prophets, so the Antichrist will come after Christ.  Just as the tares, or weeds, first appear to be similar to the wheat, so the devil fashions lies that in some sense resemble the truth.  That these are sown while men slept indicates that heresy and lies creep in when people are apathetic.  Moreover, it gives us a sense of our own need for "wakefulness," awareness.  My study bible adds that this parable also explains why the Church neither condemns nominal members, nor judges those outside the Church (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).  Just as wheat would be destroyed in weeding out the tares, so also, many who might ultimately find salvation would otherwise be lost if they are condemned before Christ's judgment.

I've recently had occasion to attempt to revive a garden that had been sadly neglected for quite a period of time.  This parable of the tares (or weeds) and the wheat reminds me somewhat of that garden, for the various kinds of weeds that somewhat resemble the desirable plants were so tangled into one another that it was impossible for even a seasoned gardener to separate them.  What were once planted even as decorative plants became invasive, covering over beautiful flowering plants, or intertwining with other bushes.  Just as Jesus recommends through the owner of the wheatfield, the only thing to do, for the most part, was to pull them all up together.  To tear out one was impossible to do without damaging the other.  Maybe it would help for us to understand that the word for tares in the Greek of the Gospel (ζιζάνιον/zizanio) has come to be used for children when they misbehave, as a metaphor for "wild" --- uncontrolled and uncultivated.  In the garden, it is possible for any seed blown by the wind to take root.   In the parable, Jesus gives us a sense of how our world really is:  we'd all like it to be perfect, and perfectly orderly.  It would be wonderful if each of us were handed clear truth on a platter, without the distractions of every other kind of influence somehow mixed in to our lives.  But this is simply not the way that things are.  In the parable of the sower, Jesus spoke of the obstacles that get in the way of the word taking root and bearing fruit within the soil of the heart.  He explained to His disciples that the distractions include the "cares of this world" and the "deceitfulness of riches."   Moreover there are persecutions and tribulation that will come to those who bear the word.  But the fruitfulness of the one who is able to keep and cultivate that word on good ground is extraordinary.  In today's reading, He gives us (and the disciples, of course) more seeming obstacles to the harvest of His word and His ministry.  There is not simply His good seed sown in the world as His word.  There is also seed sown by an enemy.  This is seed of that which distracts and makes life difficult for those who would harvest the good wheat, that which truly feeds the people with what is good and nourishing for them.  Heresy is a kind of half-truth, something which sounds good, but really isn't -- the same way that the tares or weeds resemble the wheat, but are in fact not digestible and not good for human beings.  Moreover, we can see how, especially in the world in which we live today -- where every influence is at our fingertips on our phones or computers or other forms of mass public media -- all kinds of ideas and assumptions proliferate for us to choose from.  There is every influence, and with every possible motivation, streaming into our lives.  Parents are concerned for their children, as immature minds without experience are vulnerable to predators.  So it is, also, with Jesus' message of the wheat among the weeds, which make it hard to distinguish the good from the bad, especially to those without sufficient experience to already know the difference.  No human being is born with perfect knowledge; everything for us is a long learning curve.  And so it is especially with our faith.  For many of us, we have tradition -- such as the early Councils of the Church -- to help to guide us.  We have the saints who came before us, and in particular those are are called the Fathers and Mothers of the Church, who considered every problem that met the faithful in the early centuries of Christianity and along the way.  We have, to guide us, what is called "economia" in Greek theology terminology.  Economia is the practice of mercy in terms of the things we don't clearly and absolutely know within the sphere of our imperfect world.  We do the best we can with what we have and know.   Christ preaches mercy: in today's parable the wheat and weeds must grow together until the harvest, and in effect we are given a perfect example of what economia means.  That is, until the final harvest, the ultimate judgment of Christ at His return, we do the best we can with what we do know and within the default practice of mercy.  We cling to the truth and to the good wheat, we read the Scripture, we pray, we look to tradition and those who came before us with their experience, and we must remember which "manner of spirit we are of" (Luke 9:54-56).  The good and the bad grow together in the world we live in, the false and the true, and sometimes it is very hard to distinguish the two.  What sounds good and feels good is not always good at all.  Let us note that the enemy sows his seeds "while men slept."  Jesus isn't just speaking about the vineyard owner or the workers, but the condition of human beings.  When we're not aware, all kinds of things slip in under the radar, so to speak; that is, while we're not looking or paying attention.  And in His pragmatism for His fledgling followers and the Church that is to come, He advises us that this always will be the case.  So let us not allow the dizzying array of seemingly endlessly distracting weeds, things which require our work and labor to distinguish and learn about, to dissuade us from what we know is good, what we cling to in faith.  Let us continue to understand that this is simply the way He's told us from the beginning that things are, and do what we can to cultivate good crops and our own fruitful harvest.  The importance of our own awareness and the teaching of experience cannot be discounted.  Let us remember that everything is done with the "rule" of mercy, and count ourselves blessed that it is so.

Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field

 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house.  And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."  He answered and said to them:  "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.  The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.  Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

- Matthew 13:36-43

Yesterday we read that Jesus continued teaching about the kingdom of heaven in parables, saying:   "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."  Another parable He spoke to them:  "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."  All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:  "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world."

 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house.  And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."  He answered and said to them:  "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.  The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.  Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.  There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"   In today's reading, Jesus explains the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, given in Thursday's reading.   Just as with the parable of the Sower (see readings of May 7 and May 8), in private Jesus explains the meaning of the parable of the Wheat and the Tares.   We recall that tares are plants that resemble wheat, but are weeds and do not give the grain of wheat.  Jesus explains the parable by giving us a vivid picture of judgment, and speaking of the end of the age.  It's strong talk, and comes together with changes in His ministry that we can observe.  He is being confronted by the religious authorities, who now have decided to plot against Him, to try to destroy Him (see this reading).  He introduced concepts of judgment in replying to the scribes and Pharisees who demanded a sign from Him, a kind of proof of His identity (in this reading), saying that those figures in the Old Testament -- all foreigners -- who responded to the work of the Holy Spirit in Solomon's wisdom and in the preaching of Jonah, would rise up in the judgment to condemn "this generation" that asks for a sign. 

In chapter 12, Jesus used strong words of Judgment after He was accused of casting out demons by the power of demons.  He told the Pharisees:  "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.  Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come."   It is perhaps in this clear and plain-spoken reference to the Holy Spirit that we find Jesus' most explicit reference to Judgment and its workings in the world.  The greatest gift He brings us, the outpouring of the Spirit for all people, becomes something which has an effect upon us whether or not we want that effect.  It brings us choices, and significant choices.  When we are in the presence of the holy, remaining neutral becomes an impossible task -- we are faced with acceptance or rejection in our response, a "yes" or a "no."  But amidst this stark choice, there is also the gift of time, and of repentance.  There is the power to reconsider, to "change one's mind," which is the literal meaning of the Greek word for repentance, metanoia.  My study bible was quick to note, in the reading referenced just above, that Jesus does not say that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven.  The potential of repentance is key to our understanding of our faith and of ourselves.  We are beings in time, with a fixed identity only in the power of Christ, the image in which our Creator has fashioned us.  As human beings who may not only "change our minds," but also become more deeply molded in our faith, becoming unified with Creator who has come to call us back to Him,  beings within whom the Kingdom may dwell in the ongoing presence and work of the Holy Spirit, and who are ministered to by angels, assisted in prayer even with countless saints, we are not fixed in time.  Rather, identity is something that may expand and grow, casting off what is not good nor profitable, and the things which stand in the way of God's love in us.  Therefore, none of us can have an absolute sense of what judgment is like or will hold, even for ourselves, nor for anyone else.  We cannot have the perspective that God has, nor the love, nor the mercy, nor God's capacity for healing.  What we  can understand is the depth of love in which we are held, but also the worth and value to which we are called.  Our love means something; what we love and make a part of ourselves means something about who we are.   Perhaps Jesus' most telling words about the end of the age are in His statement about the work of the angels, sent out at His command, at that time: that they will  gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness.  These are the things for us to consider, and for time to heal and repair, for "change of mind" to address.  Let us remember that we all grow in understanding and that none of us are finished with what St. Paul called the "good fight of faith."  It seems, rather, that the beauty He looks for in us exists midst weakness and imperfection (2 Corinthians 12:9), even shame and all manner of things that are offensive to the world (1 Corinthians 4:9-13).  In this vein, let us remember that it was His Crucifixion that Christ called the hour of His glory (John 12:23-33).  Let us look to His love to teach us what it is to shine forth as the sun.

An enemy has done this

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

- Matthew 13:24-30

Yesterday we read that Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees:  "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  Then he says, "I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.  So shall it also be with this wicked generation."  While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."  But He answered and said to the one who had told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

Today's reading in the text follows upon the Parable of the Sower, which was given in the readings of May 7 and May 8.

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"  My study bible points out that this parable builds on the previous parable of the Sower (see readings of  May 7 and May 8).  But here, Christ gives attention to the enemy who has sown his seed among the seed of Christ.  My study bible says that as falsehood came after truth and false prophets came after the true prophets, so the Antichrist will come after Christ.  Just as the weeds first appear similar to wheat (the tares are weeds, plants that resemble wheat but do not give its grain), so the devil fashions his lies to resemble the truth.  That the devil (an enemy) sows while men slept indicates that heresy and lies creep in when people apathetic.

Jesus clearly presents the world here as a sort of battleground; or, if not clearly a battleground, at least a place of struggle.  There is a man who planted good seeds, but an enemy who sows what is not good, what doesn't give a good harvest, and which in some way isn't good for people.  It trips us up, it doesn't give what is good and nourishing but makes only a false promise by its appearance.  This is Christ's picture for us of the world in which we live, and even the good ground of our souls.  There is a struggle going on, and it's a struggle for truth.  But so important is that truth, that it is akin to our very nourishment, the staff of life.  The enemy is one who wants to do us harm with falsehood, false fronts that give us nothing for life.  So goes the battle for the soul.  In this understanding, what we choose to believe in is ever so important -- and those who seek to deceive are committing truly a great deal of harm.  Here we come to an important sense of Christ's message and mission:  the things we believe are essential to who we are.  They are of the utmost importance.  Truth isn't just a concept among many to choose from with equal value.   Of incomparable value are human beings to God; therefore how we live, and what we base our lives on, what we truly allow to become a part of ourselves, become essential in the struggle for life and for life in abundance.  All throughout Scripture, a sense of relatedness determines who we are, the things in which we share, how we take on identity.  The emptiness of a life of hypocrisy captures as well this sense that if we ally ourselves merely with an appearance of goodness or sanctity, then we have no true substance upon which to rely -- either when times and struggles become difficult, or when we face our Creator and all facade is stripped away.  He calls us to life and to life more abundantly, in the treasures of the heart.  For this we need a substantial truth which feeds and nourishes and provides what we need for that life.  We need Christ, who calls Himself the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).  We are beings in a battleground, a place of struggle, although it is hidden from our sight -- as the tares were sown while people slept.  Christ is here as liberator, the one who gives us the truth we need.  But our own worth and the struggle for real value is something in which we participate and make choices for ourselves, and so the struggle is ours too.  What this says to us is to give us a challenge, to consider how lightly we hold our own value and how great -- even in a cosmic sense -- that value truly is.   To what do you ally yourself?  How dear is the truth to you?  What is spiritual worth, and how important is it?   Jesus speaks elsewhere of treasure in heaven, even paradoxically also referring to that which we give away (19:16-21).  In future readings in chapter 13, the unsurpassable treasure He will refer to is the kingdom of heaven, which we are also taught is within us. It is indeed an enemy and a thief who would seek to take that away.

The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

- Matthew 13:24-30

In yesterday's reading, Jesus explained to His disciples the parable of the Sower (given in Tuesday's reading).   He said, "Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is he who received seed by the wayside.  But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.  Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?'  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"  My study bible says that this parable builds on the previous parable of the sower (see Tuesday's reading).   The focus here is on the enemy who has sown his seed among the seed of Christ.  As falsehood came after truth and false prophets came after the true prophets (see Jesus' warning at 7:15-20), so the Antichrist will come after Christ.  Just as the weeds first appear similar to wheat, so the devil fashions his lies to resemble the truth.  As the devil sows while men slept, we are to understand that heresy and lies creep in when people are apathetic.  It gives us an important example, also, why the Church does not condemn nominal members, nor does it judge those who are outside the Church (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).  As wheat would be destroyed in weeding out the tares, so also, many people who may ultimately find salvation would otherwise be lost if they were condemned before Christ's judgment.

In the parable of the Sower, Jesus indicated the presence of the wicked one, who comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  Here, my study bible says, in this next parable that He gives, He emphasizes the work of the enemy, the wicked one.  The significant thing to notice here is the emphasis on truth, the truth that is in the word that is sown.  Tares are plants that resemble the wheat, but don't produce the grain that nourishes people.  The resemblance is meaningful, because this is the way that falsehood works.   In this description found here in the parable, Jesus teaches us that the difference between truth and falsehood -- and even goodness and evil -- isn't often a glaring and obvious contrast.  Rather, the parable teaches that truth and falsehood closely resemble one another.  Unless one is alert and aware, telling them apart is something we won't be able to do.  Again, as my study bible pointed out, we notice that the tares were sown by the enemy while men slept.  As we learn frequently throughout our lives, what sounds good doesn't always turn out to be so.  It's important to think about this parable in the context of the history of the Church that was to follow in the centuries after Christ, and the many universal Councils that were held to decide matters of doctrine and heresy.  Those were attended by hundreds of bishops; no matter of truth was insignificant.  To modern ears, many times the issues of heresy that were discussed at these Councils can seem to be details or even irrelevant, but that is also a falsehood.  Those "details" make all the difference in terms of what our faith means for us, and how salvation works in us.  While we may think of the wicked one, or of evil itself as something glaring and horrible, completely noticeable to everyone, we delude ourselves with a false assurance that we would know it when we see it.  In Jesus' parable, the wicked one comes while we're sleeping, not in obvious ways.  The tares resemble the wheat, and furthermore they are sown so closely within the field that it is impossible to separate them without damaging the wheat.  The subtlety of this process is exceptionally remarkable, something we are meant to notice and be well aware of.  What is false is not necessarily easy to spot.  It creeps in while we sleep, or are unaware.  The falsehoods produced really closely resemble the good things we need for nurturing and for life.  This isn't an easy task to discern the difference.  Nor are the tares going to be removed; instead truth and falsehood live side by side, intermingled in our lives.  If we're looking for evil, we won't find it in obvious ways.  Instead, Jesus teaches us throughout the Gospel -- and especially as the time of His ministry comes ever closer to the Crucifixion -- that our work as good servants is to be awake, alert, ready for His Return.  We are always to be vigilant about doing the things that we know He wants us to be doing, the work of good servants.  We're to be mindful at all times of Who we serve and what that means we live in our lives, our awareness of Him should accompany all our choices.  We will be distracted by all the tares that are always with us until the harvest.  Let us remember how we are to focus, and keep His word in mind at all times.

Let both grow together until the harvest

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

- Matthew 13:24-30

Yesterday, we read Jesus' words to the Pharisees, as He continued to rebuke them for their blasphemy of the Spirit (Tuesday's reading), after they accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub.   (See Wednesday's reading also for the substance of His rebuke to them.)   He said, "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.  So shall it also be with this wicked generation."  While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Then one said to Him "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."  But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

The lectionary skips over Matthew 13:1-23, as Jesus introduces preaching in parables into His ministry.  In this passage, Jesus tells the crowds the parable of the Sower, also explaining in private to His disciples the meaning of the parable and why He has begun preaching in this style.   He gives us the understanding that the struggle for faith is an individual one;  He is the sower who sows the seeds, but faith depends on the "ground" within us upon which those seeds fall.  Parables are "word-pictures," taking images from every day life and giving people truths about spiritual life.  As we can see from yesterday's reading, above, Jesus speaks of the heart and the condition of the heart.  Parables teach truths hidden in stories; for some, spiritual mysteries may be revealed, for others it is not so.  Everything depends on the condition of the inner ground of the heart.  The parable of the Sower tells us of the things which get in the way of the progress of our faith, giving us universal examples of the things which may hold us back or help.  It's a turning point in the ministry, along with His rejection by the Pharisees and His statement that "whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying:  "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"  This parable builds on the parable of the Sower.  But here Jesus shifts the attention from the condition of the heart of the listener to the enemy who has sown his seed among the seed of Christ.  My study bible says that as falsehood came after truth and false prophets came after true prophets, so the Antichrist will come after Christ.  Tares are a kind of wild plant (a weed) that closely resembles wheat; so the devils fashions lies and sophistries which resemble the truth.  My study bible says that as the devil sows while men slept indicates that heresy and lies creep in when people are apathetic.  It adds that this parable explains why the Church does not condemn nominal members, nor does it judge those outside the Church (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).  Just as the wheat would be destroyed in weeding out the tares, so also many who might ultimately find salvation would ultimately be lost if they would to be condemned before Christ's judgment.  We are reminded, in a certain sense, that in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus preached that God "makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (5:45).

Jesus is really introducing a new way of thinking here.  Salvation and faith are not about which "people" one nominally belongs to, which nation one is a part of.  His faith is to go out to all of the world, and His community -- even His kin, His family -- will be those consisting of "whoever does the will of My Father in heaven."  He makes it clear also that there will be enemies of His truth, enemies of this faith, even enemies in the spiritual realm, influencing the journey of faith.  These weeds or tares will be another obstacle to faith, the sophistries that will abound even as His truth is preached.  And this is the condition of our lives and of the world for which we must be prepared and which we must accept as part of the journey, part of our lives.  In the view that Jesus gives us, there is no such thing as a worldly place that is "pure," in the sense that there will be no struggle against heresy and sophistry, the things which are spiritually misleading.  It is a clear indication that our jobs are not to judge everyone else nor to in some ways eliminate those who think differently, but rather an emphasis on our own capacity and responsibility in a world that offers us struggles and obstacles, in which there are forces that wage a kind of spiritual battle for human hearts and minds.  It also reminds us of Judgment, which comes at the end of the age -- not our jobs, but God's.  It emphasizes the focus on care of the heart, on our own struggles to discern truth from falsehood, and the importance of teaching as given by the example of Christ Himself:  fearless in teaching the truth, but not working through manipulation.  What is essential here is our notion of purity; we're not going to live in a pure or perfect world.  What we do seek is "purity of heart" -- a love of God in our depths, and a constant work at our faith which is a journey, the journey of a lifetime.  Christ calls from us awareness, self-consciousness, a work at discernment, remaining awake and alert for the Master's return.  This is the setting of the world, and our place, our job, in it.  We're to be good servants and stewards, nurturing and guarding our hearts and minds and helping others to do so through that struggle for faith.   In that struggle, we always have His love and and presence with us, His Helper the Spirit, our prayers to the Father.

You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth'

 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I tell you not to resist an evil person.  But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

- Matthew 5:38-48

 We are reading through the Sermon on the Mount (which began in Monday's reading, The Beatitudes).  Yesterday, we read that Jesus taught, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'  But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.  Again, you have  heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'  But I say to you, do not swear at all:  neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'  For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."

 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I tell you not to resist an evil person.  But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away."  An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth comes from references found in Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21.  This is a law that attempts to make the punishment "fit" the crime, and to limit vengeance.  Jesus takes it another step further, introducing us to an entirely new concept which is commensurate with the life of the Kingdom, even as we live our lives in this world, and with witnessing (even "martyrdom" -- martyr is the Greek word for witness), and Judgment.  In contrast to the Old Testament, says my study bible, Jesus warns not to resist violence with more violence.  It says, "Evil can only be overcome by good, which keeps us free from compromise with the devil and can bring our enemy under the yoke of God's love."  

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."  If we look at Leviticus 19:18, we see again the theme of limitation on vengeance, meant to shore up community among the "people of God."  Jesus extends this, just as He has done with the statutes earlier in the Sermon on the Mount.  The question, Who is my neighbor? becomes relevant here, and will be answered in Luke's Gospel, in the story of the Good Samaritan.  My study bible says that if we are freed from hate, sadness, and anger, we are able to receive the greatest virtue:  perfect love.  The love of enemies isn't just an emotion, but includes decision and action.   Loving one's enemies, praying for those who've hurt us, doesn't preclude justice and truth and it doesn't mean covering up or embracing bad behavior:  it means all things are given to God -- and that we may pray that everyone come to God's love.   See also for reference Proverbs 25:21-22, as quoted by St. Paul in Romans 12:20.

"For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."   Alternative readings give us "friends" for brethren (M-Text), and "Gentiles" for tax collectors (NU-Text).  (For a quick definition of these texts, see this note.)   What does it mean to be perfect, just as our Father in heaven is perfect?  It means we do our best to seek out and to reflect God's love and mercy.  In this way we grow in the perfection of the Father.

Jesus gives us a very tall order in today's Gospel reading.  But we can understand His message of love.  This is not about covering up bad behavior, ignoring real threats and hostility, nor denying harm.  But it is about an active exercise of love, seeking the will of the Father for all things, and finding in God's love and mercy a true guideline for everything in our lives, including all that is painful.  Refraining from vengeance remains an important understanding; righteous behavior asks from us one consistent thing:  to seek God's will through everything, knowing that it is not the injustice that we see in the world that is the final Judgment, but that God's Judgment must be what we seek out even in the here and the now.  There's an important understanding about witnessing, and the proverb cited by St. Paul that by overcoming evil with good, one may actually be more effectively responding to an enemy.  True justice, as most likely any attorney can tell us, rests in God's hands.  When we seek righteousness, we seek the best life we can live in the here and now.  We seek wisdom, we seek a limitation to violence and harm, and we also know and keep our eyes open to truth.  As we will see by Jesus' own example, He doesn't shrink from speaking the truth to those who would suppress it or twist it, but confrontation comes at the proper moment.  To be "wise as serpents and gentle as doves" will be Jesus' teaching to His disciples as they enter into their apostolic mission, and it's in keeping with today's teachings.  How do we best handle conflict and violence?  Jesus gives us a hint of what self-mastery means, effective truth-telling, and above all being our best reflection in the world of God the Father.