Weedy fields

Parables admit of various interpretations or ways of understanding them. The parable of the weeds and the wheat is one such parable. When weeds are found growing in a farmer’s field of wheat, Jesus advises his listeners to let them grow together, so that the wheat crop is not damaged by attempting to pull up all the weeds.

One interpretation, the one Jesus gives to his disciples, is that there will always be good and bad people in the world, and that in the final judgment the good will receive their reward, and evil people will receive punishment.

I’m struck by the patience of Jesus, the waiting and doing nothing, trusting that the end result will be good. It can also be helpful to imagine how the parable would play out in our own life–that each one of us is a mixture of good and evil, saint and sinner, and we always will be, as long as we’re on this earth.

Part of our task on life is to discern the difference and go with the good, which is where God is always to be found. Acknowledging that we are this mixture of good and evil helps us to be understanding of others, as well as patient with ourselves. We are called to love imperfect people and imperfect institutions.

“Whoever has ears ought to hear.” (Matthew 13:43)

The images in today’s post are from the island of Cuttyhunk, MA.

This is my 300th weekly post, going back to the fall of 2017. I never thought it would go this long, but the ideas and images keep coming, so I’ll keep posting. Thanks for being a viewer.