REFLECTIONS TODAY

Jesus’ original audience would be familiar with enmity even among farmers. When one farmer wanted to sabotage another, it was not unheard of for him to sow weeds or darnels (Greek zizania) into the wheat farm of another. Darnel is a noxious weed that mimics many characteristics of wheat for a while. Before they mature, the two plants are almost identical, but as they grow, the differences become apparent in the fruit. Unfortunately, darnel is poisonous and in big enough doses will kill a person. So, a farmer would not want it mixed up in his harvest. 

The concerned servants want to remove the darnel, but the farmer is afraid that they might also throw out the wheat. He instructs them to let wheat and darnel grow for a while, and leave the separation to the harvesters who know the differences and will remove the darnel first. 

Jesus’ disciples know that when they “spread their nets for a catch,” they will catch both clean (kosher) and unclean fish, that is, people of all kinds of character. It is not always simple to discern the difference between those who belong to the Kingdom and those who do not. Everyone is given the opportunity to have a change of heart so as to bear the good fruits of discipleship. Nonetheless, at the judgment at the end of time, the angelic harvesters would know how to separate the wheat from the darnel, or “the sheep from the goats” (Mt 25:32)

First Reading • Jer 7:1-11 

The following message came to Jeremiah from the Lord: Stand at the gate of the house of the Lord, and there proclaim this message: Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord! Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Reform your ways and your deeds, so that I may remain with you in this place. 

Put not your trust in the deceitful words: “This is the temple of the Lord! The temple of the Lord! The temple of the Lord!” Only if you thoroughly reform your ways and your deeds; if each of you deals justly with his neighbor; if you no longer oppress the resident alien, the orphan, and the widow; if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place, or follow strange gods to your own harm, will I remain with you in this place, in the land I gave your fathers long ago and forever. 

But here you are, putting your trust in deceitful words to your own loss! Are you to steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, go after strange gods that you know not, and yet come to stand before me in this house which bears my name, and say: “We are safe; we can commit all these abominations again”? Has this house which bears my name become in your eyes a den of thieves? I too see what is being done, says the Lord.

Gospel • Matthew 13:24-30 

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. 

The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. 

Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

Source: “366 Days with the Lord 2024,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.