July 20, 2008

.  Tenth Sunday after Pentecost…

Please read

Matthew 13:24-30

Matthew 13:36-43

Read also

Genesis 28:10-19a

Psalm 139:1-12

Psalm 139:23-24

Romans 8:12-25

He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well.

“And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' 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; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field."

He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man;  the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

“Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

.         HUMILITY           .

When I,

caught in self-righteousness, 

am prone to pass judgment,

barring the door to those

different from me,

or who cannot measure up

to my standard or taste

or morality;

When I

selectively choose

the scripture words,

to support my point of view,

using a Bible verse

here and there

as pretext for exclusion;

When I

pursue my

my-way-or-the-highway

approach to faith and life,

Lord, lead me back

to the master story teller

and his parable

about a farmer

who planted a field,

only to discover

that weeds were growing

mixed with the wheat.

Remind me of his words:

“Let both of them grow together

 until the harvest”

Help me to see, Lord,

that there is time enough

to make a separation

when the crop is ready for harvest.

Meanwhile,

help me to walk with them,

all of them,

and with him

who had a good word

for Samaritans and lepers

and even tax collectors,

enjoying as we go

the sunshine

of his righteousness.

“Let anyone with ears listen!”

---rvc