Matthew 13:36-43

Matthew 13:36-43

Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house.

His disciples approached him and said,

“Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,

the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.

The weeds are the children of the Evil One,

and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.

The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

Just as 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 who cause others to sin and all evildoers.

They will throw them into the fiery furnace,

where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

Then the righteous will shine like the sun

in the Kingdom of their Father.

Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you know all things and are the Lord of history. You know how the world is a mixture of good and evil, of light and darkness, of saints and sinners. Bring me to a good end and help me overcome sin in my life so that I may truly be a child of your Kingdom.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Jesus’ Explanation of the Parable: When Jesus began to speak in parables in the Gospel of Matthew, this marked a change in his teaching method. Jesus met with opposition from the religious leaders and authorities (Matthew 12:1-50) and started to form his twelve Apostles as the new leaders of the new Israel. Jesus adapted his teaching to this new reality. His parables hid the mysteries of the Kingdom from the learned and the prideful (represented by the scribes and Pharisees) and revealed them to the humble and childlike (represented by his disciples). Jesus often spoke in parables in public to the crowds that followed him and then later explained the meaning of the parables in private to his disciples. We see this in today’s Gospel. After the crowds have been dismissed, the disciples approached Jesus and asked him to explain the parable of the wheat and weeds in the field.

2. The Final Separation of Good and Evil: Jesus explained that he, as the Son of Man, was the Sower of wheat, of good seed. The devil, the Evil One, was his enemy who sowed weeds. The children of the kingdom of Heaven are the good seed sown by Jesus. The children of the Evil One are the weeds sown by the devil. Jesus is revealing that good and evil people, saints and sinners, will coexist side by side in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus reveals that only at the end of the age – the end of time – will bad weeds (the unrighteous) and good wheat (the righteous) be definitively separated. Jesus speaks about sending out messengers and angels into the world at harvest time to collect the weeds and throw them into the fire. “The parable shows that even though the kingdom is dawning on the world, wicked and the faithful will coexist with it until the final judgment” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 181). While the wicked will be punished in the furnace of fire, the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Those who rise to eternal life will shine because they share in the light of Jesus’ glory. The image evokes Daniel 12:3, which foresees the day when the wise will be delivered from God’s judgment and shine forever like the stars.

3. In Peter’s House: Jesus explained the meaning of his parable in Peter’s house, which is an image of the Church. Like the disciples in today’s Gospel, we also hear the explanation of the parable in the Church. What are some lessons we can draw from this parable? First of all, we need to learn the lesson of patience. Wickedness will exist in the world and even in the kingdom of Heaven as it grows throughout history. The parable encourages us to work to eradicate wickedness from our own lives and overcome injustices in our society. Second, there is a lesson of hope. The children of God the Father will be vindicated at the final judgment. Am I working patiently and persistently to eradicate sin, evil, and wickedness from my own life and from the community around me?

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, teach me to be patient and merciful when I see evil in the world and even in members of the Church. Do not let me become discouraged or give in to despair. Strengthened by your grace, I will redouble my efforts to be holy and overcome my attachments to sin.

Living the Word of God: What are the weeds in my life that I need to uproot? Do I have any habits of sin that I have let grow too long? With what can I replace my bad habits?