In the parable of the weeds and the wheat in Matthew’s gospel, the householder advises his servants to let the weeds and the wheat grow together and to separate them at harvest time. This parable is often interpreted as referring to the final judgement at the end of time, when the good will be separated from the bad.
For me, the most helpful way of looking at this teaching about the Kingdom of God is to focus on patience and gathering together, two things the householder stressed in addressing the problem he was presented with. Jesus in his ministry showed patience. He was non-judgmental, open to all who approached him, not trying to select those who were “worthy.” And he gathered people together, with the 12 Apostles representing all the nations.
For us the lesson can be patience with ourself and our work/ministry, especially when we encounter weeds and rocks and the evil present in the world. Our focus is to be on gathering together, rather than excluding, similar to the “big tent” of Pope Francis, trusting that God will bring fruitfulness to our life and our ministry, and that we will experience a rich harvest both in this life and in the next.
This week’s photos are from a recent trip to Maine. The exhortation to patience and gathering together speak to me when I am out with my camera and focusing on getting a good composition.
“If you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest.” (Matthew 13:29-30)
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