Matthew 13:24-43

Wisdom 12:13, 16-19

Psalm 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16

Romans 8:26-27

Matthew 13:24-43

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying:

“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.”’”

He proposed another parable to them. 

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed

that a person took and sowed in a field. 

It is the smallest of all the seeds,

yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. 

It becomes a large bush,

and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”

He spoke to them another parable. 

“The kingdom of heaven is like yeast

that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour

until the whole batch was leavened.”

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. 

He spoke to them only in parables,

to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:

I will open my mouth in parables,

I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation

of the world.

Then, dismissing the crowds, he 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, we praise you for your perfect justice and boundless mercy. Your power is revealed not in harshness but in patient love, giving sinners time to repent and your children reason to hope. Grant us humble hearts that welcome the mysteries of your Kingdom, resist the temptation to judge others, and trust your wise providence. Through the Holy Spirit, purify our prayers and conform our desires to your holy will, that we may faithfully await the fullness of your Kingdom.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Revealing and Concealing Parables: By speaking to the crowds in parables, Jesus is able to reveal deep mysteries about God and the Kingdom to the meek and humble of heart, and, at the same time, conceal them from the proud and learned. The first parable reveals to the humble that God is patient and also that evil will one day be vanquished. The humble learn to be patient like God, knowing that any injustice they suffer will ultimately be redressed. The first parable conceals from the proud this divine mystery, who think that they can get away with injustice – since nothing seems to happen to them if they don’t get caught. As well, the prideful are quick to judge others and are not patient with their brothers and sisters. The second parable reveals to the humble that God’s Kingdom welcomes all nations. No one merits entry into the Kingdom. The prideful, by contrast, think the Kingdom should be exclusive and actively try to exclude people from the Kingdom. The third parable reveals to the humble that the Kingdom will transform society, and this is a cause of hope. The prideful, by contrast, tend to be indifferent to the needs of others.

2. God’s Mercy and Justice: The First Reading is taken from a section in the Book of Wisdom that reflects at length on God’s mercy. God is kind and shows restraint toward the pagan Egyptians, the Canaanites, and his chosen people, Israel. “The Lord teaches human beings through the consequences of their actions in order that their hearts may be converted” (Giszczak, Wisdom of Solomon, 122). The passage we read today moves from explaining God’s mercy to defending God’s justice (Wisdom 12:12-18). “We cannot accuse God of injustice since he is the source of justice itself (Wis 12:16). No higher authority can be appealed to since God is the ultimate authority and by implication, the source of all other authority. The human temptation is to question God’s goodness when experiencing his punishments and accuse him of being unjust (Rom 3:4-5), but Wisdom points out the absurdity of such a view. God’s righteousness and his power go hand in hand. He invariably exercises his power in accord with his justice, never condemning a person who does not deserve to be punished” (Giszczak, Wisdom of Solomon, 131). Just as people care for what belongs to them, God cares for the world that he created. When necessary, he will on occasion show his strength. God’s power, however, goes hand in hand with his clemency (Wisdom 12:18). God’s meekness is not a sign of weakness; rather, God’s kindness and lenience (forbearance) flow from his righteousness, which flows from his power. In God’s wisdom, he often uses punishment to teach his people, who are compared to children (Wisdom 12:19).

3. The Spirit Adds His Voice: In the Second Reading, Paul speaks about our prayers in the midst of suffering. These are not only heard by God; they are also helped by God. The Spirit, Paul says, “comes to the aid of our weakness by interceding for us with inexpressible groanings. The Spirit adds his voice to the chorus of groans rising up from this valley of tears, translating our wordless moans and sighs into filial petitions to the Father. Paul expects readers will find this a comforting thought, since suffering causes great disturbance in our lives and confuses us about the purpose of our trials so that we do not know how to pray as we ought. More than that, our feeble understanding of God’s ways is such that we desperately need help in the struggle to pray according to God’s will” (Hahn and Mitch, Romans, 141). The Spirit brings our prayer during tribulation to the Father, who “hears the distraught cries of his children with divine clarity, since the Spirit intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will. Perhaps Paul is thinking of our tendency to pray for what we want rather than seeking from God what we need to grow in Christian maturity. If so, then the Spirit’s ministry must include bringing our petitions into closer alignment with the Father’s plan to save us” (Hahn and Mitch, Romans, 141). What a comfort to know that our Advocate transforms our prayer! Although we do not know how to pray as we ought, we should not be discouraged.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom to the humble and conceal them from hearts hardened by pride. Teach us to receive your word with faith, to imitate your patience toward others, and to trust that you will one day overcome every evil. When suffering leaves us unable to pray, send your Holy Spirit to strengthen our weakness and unite our hearts to the Father’s saving will, so that we may persevere in hope and bear lasting fruit.

Living the Word of God: What do the three parables reveal to me as I meditate on them? Can I speak with God in prayer about his kindness, meekness, leniency, clemency, wisdom, and power? Can I be more intentional about offering my prayer in the Spirit through the Son to the Father?