What We Learn from Weeds and Wheat (16th Sunday, Year A)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

Many years ago, when I was a teenager, I helped out at a friend's farm and nursery. During the 5 years I spent working there, I learned a number of basic things about planting, weeding, fertilizing, and so on. I acquired a great deal of practical knowledge in this time; things like: only spray round-up on days when the wind is low, don't pull up a plant unless you are sure it's a weed, a little fertilizer helps a great deal while a lot of fertilizer just makes things worse. I also found out that seed can be quite expensive and that the more you weed, the less you have to water your plants. 

As I acquired these pearls of agricultural knowledge, the gospel parables about farming, the one we had last week and the one we have this week, began to drive me crazy. What sort of a farmer sows seed so carelessly that it falls among thorns, upon rocky soil, and on the path? And what in the world would a farmer be thinking if he allowed his crops to grow along with the weeds without making an attempt to kill at least some of them? All in all, I concluded, God was a pretty bad farmer, wasting seeds and letting weeds grow in his garden of creation.

However, after 15 years of preaching, I’ve had the opportunity to go deeper into this parable and learn the context behind it, which Jesus and his listeners would have already known. No surprisingly, this knowledge exposed my foolishness and hubris. It also demonstrates the wisdom of God with his atypical gardening and why this image of the weeds and the wheat is perfect in describing the spiritual struggle in the human heart.

In Palestine, the farmers have to contend with weeds just like anyone else. A particular weed that grows alongside wheat is called a bearded darnel. In their early stages, the bearded darnel and the wheat were impossible to tell apart, even for an experienced farmer. By the time they grew large enough to be distinguished, one from the other, it was too late because their roots were impossibly intertwined. Any attempts to get rid of the weed would kill the wheat as well. As a result, the farmers of Jesus’ time would let both grow together until the time of harvest. When the harvest finally arrived, the wheat and the darnel weed had to be separated carefully by hand because the grain of this weed is actually poisonous. If it is consumed, it is bitter, unpleasant and it causes a person to get dizzy and sick.

This parable teaches us many important truths. First, it shows how hard it can be to distinguish between the wheat and the weeds in regards to people. You and I live in the time before the spiritual harvest. More often than not, it is impossible for us to tell which person is wheat and which person is a weed in the eyes of God. We might classify someone as “bad” who is not, or we might consider someone as “good” who is not. Because we do not know all of the facts, because many deeds and the intentions of the heart are unknown to us, we must learn that only God has the right to judge the wheat from the weeds. It is not our place to do so. How often we might consider someone a weed in our own lives because they have caused us pain, annoyance, or some other type of suffering. We want them to pay and be uprooted for what they have done. But if we are honest with ourselves, we realize we have also acted as weeds and should be grateful for many chances God gives to turn our lives around and repent.  

Secondly, it shows us that there is judgment for all people at the end of time. This might be a frightening and unpleasant thing for us to think about, but the parable makes it very clear that God’s judgment will come. At the time of the harvest, God must separate who has truly been wheat and who has lived as a weed. As frightening as this divine judgment might seem, we can take comfort in the fact that God is not arbitrary or careless. He is patient, loving and kind; this is why he doesn’t rush to tear out those who appear to be weeds. Think of how many saints might have been uprooted and thrown into the fire if they had been judged too soon, according to the minds of men rather than God. God sees the heart and the potential each person has to turn back to him and bear an abundant harvest!

Finally, this parable demonstrates that there is an evil power at work in our world. The enemy who sows bad seed is clearly the devil, who wishes to destroy the kingdom of God and its great spiritual harvest. We should recognize that we are in the midst of a great spiritual battle and our hearts, minds, and souls often contain both wheat and weed at the same time. When we are attentive to the Word of God, when we follow the teachings of Christ and his Church, when we live as true Christians, then our lives are wheat for the kingdom of heaven. But when we fall asleep spiritually, when we sin in our thoughts, words, and deeds, we allow the devil to sow bad seed in our hearts, bad seed that separates us from God and one another. 

This beautiful, powerful parable reminds us that we must always be on guard against sin in our lives. It teaches us that we are fighting a serious power and we need God’s help to do so. It keeps us humble by acknowledging that we have both good and bad present within us and we are in no position to condemn others or give up on them. Until the time of the harvest arrives, you and I must never stop struggling against the weeds of sin that try to take root in our souls. Let us resolve today to always be wheat for the kingdom of God, preparing for the harvest. Let us make use of the spiritual fertilizers that Christ gives us, especially in the sacraments, to grow in our faith and in our service to God and to one another. “He who has ears ought to hear!!”  

Who Rules You?! (14th Sunday, Year A)

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At first glance, our Scriptures this weekend seem to be all over the place. The first reading speaks of a meek and mild king, a king who is also Almighty God. St. Paul encourages us to live according to the Spirit and not according to the desires of the flesh which steal our life. And Jesus praises God for revealing his truth to those who are humble and nothing according to the world. He promises rest to the weary who come to him and encourages his followers to take his yoke upon them to find rest and relief from their burdens.

Reflecting on this message of freedom, gentleness, and relief, I couldn’t help but think of the amount of unrest and upheaval that seems to define our time. You can point to any part of the globe and find significant conflict and suffering. In particular, I’ve been following the rioting and nightly clashes in France. Two weeks ago, a teenager was shot dead by police during a traffic stop. Many of the details are still unknown but the general sentiment among the protestors is that the police are not accountable to anyone and the well-being of the people they serve is not being considered. Many are demanding reform, prosecution, and re-shaping how law and order are maintained. Several years ago, we had something similar in our own country with the “defund the police movement”. In some places, the result was a drastic reduction in traditional law enforcement resources and a movement towards letting communities police themselves. Within a couple years, in nearly every instance, those same communities had to abandon the self-policing model because it devolved into chaos, crime, and tragedy for the innocent who were unable to defend themselves. 

The desire to lash out against authority, against rulers, is nothing new. Sometimes it is necessary when those wielding power become corrupt and immoral. But the Christian notion of freedom, the freedom God wants for us, does not mean doing whatever we want nor does it mean we are above the rule of law and order. Freedom for the follower of Christ means what St. Paul highlights in the second reading; we are able to live according to the law of the Holy Spirit rather than being captive to our impulses and desires. Being a prisoner to every compulsive thought or yearning is the essence of addiction and the opposite of freedom. Such an existence attacks our human dignity and that is why Paul pleads with us to choose the path of life, governed by the ways of God and his Holy Spirit.

In every age of human history, and at some point in every human life, we have the idea that we can rule ourselves, that we don’t need any authority or law to govern us. We see this in various social and political movements, in the rebellious teen spirit, and the interior part of ourselves that bristles whenever someone tries to correct us or give us advice. The desire to be free is good but it is impossible to go through life without something, without someone ruling over us. True freedom is reached when we allow God to rule over us in all things: our desires, our minds, our bodies, our relationships, and so on. If we do not allow God and his Spirit to rule us, sooner or later something or someone else will. Whatever that ends up being cannot love us as purely as God does and eventually ends up enslaving us. 

In today’s gospel, Jesus promises us freedom when he says, “Come unto me - all you who are tired - all you who are feeling drained -all you who are feeling empty - all you who are burdened by a sense of disappointment - all you who are exhausted by the struggles of life and weighed down by your sense of duty, of what is right and wrong- and I will give you rest.  I will cleanse you - I will fill you with new joy - and establish you in a relationship with God that will give you new life and true freedom- now and in the world to come.

That is the first part of what Jesus had to say. The second part is this: "take my yoke upon you and learn from me." This seems like a contradiction! We might be thinking, “How can I rest with a yoke on my shoulders?”  After all a burden is still a burden - a yoke is still a yoke. However, Jesus is telling us that there is no such thing as a burden-free life; we will always serve some master; the question is what KIND of burden will we choose to carry, whom will we serve?

Jesus offers to lift the burdens off our backs that suck the life out of us, so he can replace them with something better fitting. He is interested in removing the harness we forge for ourselves and the world forges for us, so he can place around our necks his own yoke which ironically brings new life, new energy, and new joy.

His yoke fits perfectly; it enables us to carry loads that we thought were impossible to move and gives us superhuman strength. Christ promises rest from the constant worrying and struggle this world imposes. If we seek his forgiveness in the sacrament of reconciliation, if we are wiling to come and place our trust in him, our burdens of mind and spirit are healed and we are given rest from our anger, guilt, and shame.  

So what are we waiting for??? If you feel weary and burdened with the concerns of this world, with the strain of civil unrest, partisan bickering, clashes over racial issues, or economic uncertainty (to name a few). If you feel heavy in mind and in spirit, if the challenges of life seem more than you can bear, then run to Christ who promises to make them lighter. Don’t run to Hollywood celebrities, political platforms, cultural movements, or talking heads in the media for answers and hope! Don’t take on their yoke which so often breaks our spirit and weighs us down with anger, despair, and division! Instead, give Jesus permission to remove those worldly yokes and let him replace it with his own. He assures us that it is light, easy, and we know that it is fashioned out of love and compassion.

 

Get the Reward! (13th Sunday, Year A)

 To listen to this homily, click here.

Something that always grabbed my attention as a youngster, wandering our neighborhood, was the occasional “lost” poster affixed a power pole, stop sign, or tree. It was usually seeking help for a wayward dog, independent cat, or some other household pet. Sometimes it was a for a beloved item that had been snatched from a yard or garage like a bike or scooter. Being more than a little nosy, I always had to look and see what was missing and I never failed to see if there was a reward for the return of whatever was being sought. I was always more motivated to keep my eyes open for the pet or personal item that meant enough for it’s owner to pay the lucky finder. I was also a little suspicious of the posters that promised a reward but wouldn’t say what or how much. I guess I wanted to know how much my charity and efforts would result in! Perhaps some of the cases wouldn’t be worth the effort! Sort of like getting a butterscotch candy instead of a jolly rancher after helping your grandparents!

Perhaps we have the same motivation when it comes to spiritual things, wanting to know, “what’s in it for me?”, wondering if our efforts are worth the promised reward. In the gospel today, Jesus demands that we love him more than anyone and anything else in our life, even more than the most intimate and sacred family relationships. But he follows it up by saying that the simplest act of kindness and hospitality, receiving a prophet because he is a prophet, means that we also get the prophet’s reward. Welcoming a righteous man because he is righteous entitles us to a righteous man’s reward. If we don’t know what that means, if the reward of the righteous and the prophet seems like little more than empty words, we might fail to pursue that prize and settle for something far less valuable and satisfying.

So what is the reward of the righteous man and prophet? For that, we must look to the beautiful story in the first reading. An influential woman welcomes Elisha whenever he visits to do the Lord’s work. He receives a good meal at her home and she even sets up a little apartment where he can stay and rest. For her, Elisha represents God and his message. She treats him and his mission with respect and generosity, not out of obligation but because of love. A prophet’s reward is what is given to those who put God first and offer the best of themselves rather than what is left over. A prophet’s reward is whatever truly satisfies our heart’s desire after we have made God our highest priority. A prophet’s reward is God himself because a faithful prophet has made everything second to God. For the righteous woman of the first reading, what she truly wished for was the gift of a child. For her kindness and generosity to the prophet Elisha, for putting God above all else, she receives what her heart desires from the Lord of Life. 

Now back to the gospel! If Jesus is willing to give so much for the simplest gesture of charity and hospitality, how much more will he offer for the significant sacrifices to put him first? Jesus is not telling us to hate the good things and people God gives, whether that be our lives, our families, or our fortunes. These are the most precious, sacred gifts we receive from the Lord and they are truly good. But Jesus is reminding us that he deserves first place. He is not and cannot be just one more good thing in our lives. He is God and he must be everything or he will end up being nothing; with Jesus, there is no middle ground. And if we are to properly love the gifts he gives us, we must first properly love the giver of those gifts. And so, if you want to truly enjoy the things and people in your life, if you don’t want that insecurity and nagging worry about losing what you have, exalt Jesus and put him first, always and in everything. When we love him in all things and above all things, death, loss, sickness, and misfortune never gets the final word. Why? Because Jesus has triumphed over it all and we will receive his reward.

Today’s Scriptures teach us to put everything in its proper place. Doing so allows us to enjoy what we have and everyone we are blessed to love. Jesus wants us to be happy and he wants to shower us with blessings. Only God truly understands our hearts and only he has the power to know and give what it wants. He is waiting to give us the the rewards of the prophets and righteous. For that to happen, he must be our all in all, our first and foremost, the one who has claim over our hearts. The reward of the righteous and prophets is promised to anyone interested. The question we have to answer is whether or not we want it; whether or not, we think it’s worth the effort.