Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A
Wis 12, 13.16-19; Rm 8,26-27; Matt 13,24-30
A good baseball coach, encourages and challenges the young players put under his charge. He usually would be more patient and gives more attention to those who need more help. He does not not simply exclude from training those who are not good enough. A good baseball coach sees the potential in each of his students and works hard with them until he can see that potential blossom. We can all think of situations: our own families, our own churches and communities, our places of work and our towns and neighbourhoods, where we thing that we would be better off if certain persons did not form part of these communities. We are quick to judge and to exclude others thinking that in doing so we are giving glory to God. Little do we realise that what we are actually doing is simply accommodate ourselves.
There is good and evil in our hearts
As the parable very strongly suggests, we all have both good and evil in our hearts. A Russian Orthodox author who also won the Nobel Peace Prize in Literature, Alexander Solzhenitsyn had understood this well, when, upon reflecting on the years spent in communist prison camps, he writes,
I have come to understand that the line which separates good from evil passes not between states or classes or even political parties. It passes right through every human heart. For even in the hearts that are overwhelmed by evil, some good is retained, and in even the best of hearts there exists a trace of evil. (Gulag Archipelago Vol II)
In the heart of the those whom we might judge to be good, there might be vices of pride, self-righteousness and egoism; and in the heart of those whom we would judge as evil people there might be virtues of repentance, of humility and of simplicity.
Sitz im leben
When Jesus was telling his parable, the first Christian communities were concerned about the Jews: some of them accepted the Word of God, but others did not. How were they to approach them? We find something similar in the First Reading, from the Book of Wisdom, which was one of the last books in the Old Testament to be written. It is particular because it is on of the few books in the Old Testament written in Greek and on Greek soil. The Jews here were faced with a new situation: they were living in the middle of a Pagan culture. What were they to do? Annihilate all those who do not believe in the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob? The author of the book of wisdom makes this reflection. God can annihilate all but the author makes us reflect, are we any better than others? Are others any worse than we are? The question of mercy and justice often baffles us. But God is always on the side of the poor and weak. God is patient with us. God always gives us another chance.
Three reactions when faced with evil in the world
When we are faced with the problem of evil in the world we might have a number of reactions.
Temptation #1: coerce
The first reaction might be to ask, why does God allow evil in the first place? This is a big philosophical question which many people have tried to solve for centuries, and is still an open question in many respects. However I would like to propose just one reflection in this regard. If I am in a situation where I cannot but be good, then where is freedom? True goodness is when I do good not because I fear the consequences or because I cannot do otherwise but because I want to do good, because I see the value of being a good person and of acting in good ways.
Temptation #2: exclude
Another reaction that we might have is to call a crusade against those whom I believe are evil. All too often we believe that it is entirely up to us to bring about the Kingdom of God in the here and now, that this implies having a pure church, a pure society. We forget that the actualisation of the Kingdom of God is a developing story and that after all it it not entirely up to us to bring it about, but that it is first and foremost the prerogative of God.
Temptation #3: segregate
A third and final reaction that we might have is to exclude others and to segregate ourselves as Christians. You live your life, I live mine and like that we do not interfere in the lives of each other and we will all be happy. As Christians we are called to be leaven in today's society, that we learn from others who have opinions that might be different from our own.
Let us make no mistake. I am not saying that it is just fine to be slothful and ignorant and injust or downright evil. What I am saying is that we must develop the wisdom to realise that the truth about ourselves, that we all have our own weeds, in our heart and that we are not perfect.
A healing community
Somebody once told me, think of all the people who have wronged you or offended you in any way. What have you learnt thanks to them? Perhaps you became a more gentle person, or more sensitive to the needs of others, perhaps you became more approachable or perhaps you have grown in the virtue of humility.
The weeds that Jesus speaks about in his parable is the darnel, which looks very similar to wheat. However there is a big difference between the parable and daily life. The weeds and the wheat do not change. They are so forever; however persons do change. It is my strong conviction that communities can change persons. This is why the master tells his workers to let the weeds and wheat grow together. It is not simply a question of tolerating others, or being patient. It is much more. It is all about loving each other and creating a true community, so that the little good that exists in the heart of each and every one may grow, expand and truly flourish.
Allowing the Spirit to work within us
I think that by and large, we all seek to give glory to God with our lives, through the choices that we make. However we do not always know how best to do so. Actually we often get it wrong! Let us therefore follow the advice of Paul in the Second reading, let us be open to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to work within us and through us despite our misplaced judgments and our failings. Let us not stifle the Spirit within us so that we may be faithful and humble servants in the fields of the Lord.
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