From The Rector’s Study,
Sunday, July 19th, Pentecost VII, the wheat and the weeds
Genesis 28:10-19a, Psalm 139:1-11, 22-23, Romans 8:12-25, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
The Wheat represents the Children of the Kingdom and the Weeds are the Children of the evil one.
Is it always so simple? Is it always so black and white? Just like last week, and the parable of the sower, are we always on the good ground or are we sometimes on the path, rocky ground or have thorns around us?
I suggest that we are a mixture of wheat and weeds, if we are honest. Isn’t this somehow what Carl Jung was talking about when he references the shadow? That our strengths have a shadow side of weakness?
Jesus suggests that the two, wheat and weeds, cannot be separated at this time, the slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest.
This shows both our need for God because we are not perfect and our journey of faith means that this is a goal which can never be reached, and our need for one another. The idea of community is; that one person’s strength is another person’s weakness, and the working together is of benefit of the whole community.
This does not mean that we should just sit back and stop trying, but work on both our strengths and our weaknesses, with the help of others.
And we can change although the journey of faith is never linear.
The example which comes to mind is; that most of us men are fairly good at directions and knowing where we are going, at least in the right direction. I am pretty good at knowing where the four directions are, when I am outside, but I get turned around and confused inside and underground.
This being said, I am averse to asking for directions and am stubborn about re-tracing my steps, and persist in moving forward to get where I am going.
GPS in cars have made asking for directions less of a problem, but the illustration still works, the strength of being able to find our way around, but are reluctant to ask for help, on one hand, and not being confident about how to get where we are going, and a freedom to ask for help and direction on the other.
Maybe this is what Jesus is talking about when he ends with; anyone with ears, listen.
We cannot do it all on our own, this is about humility and our need for God and one another.
Listening to God and others, and strengthening both our strengths and weaknesses, and learning when we can help others and when we can ask for help of one another.
And God in Christ will walk with all of us in this journey of faith.
Amen.