July 20, 2023, 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

 

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, (Year A) July 23, 2023 

Readings: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19; Romans 8:26-27; Matthew 13:24-30 

 

The Bastard Wheat 

1. There is a parable about Good and Evil. One day, good and evil met upon the shore of the sea. They said to each other, “Let us disrobe and bathe in the sea.” After they bathed in the sea for some time, evil came to the shore and clothed itself with the garment of Good and walked away. Later, Good came out of the shore and found that evil had taken away its clothes. Feeling ashamed to go naked, Good garmented itself with the clothes of evil. To this day, both Good and evil walk around in their disguised clothes. Only some who know the face of good and evil can identify their true nature despite the garments.  

 

2. The readings today confront us with the problem of evil in the world. We are not in doubt of its presence. We see it every day. We read about it in history books and witness it in our streets, at home, in Church, our neighborhood, and in the world. How do we explain the manifestation of evil all around us? A young man entered the grocery store, spat into bottles of iced tea, and laughed. A young woman spits on food items in another grocery store, licks butter, and scoops ice cream into her mouth; we read and watch the news of people who go into school, Church, and mall and shoot at people at random, killing as many as the bullets can reach; there is absolute disregard for life and property, people commit atrocities that abound in social media. What about the man who put fire on a dog’s tail and delights in the pains inflicted on it? Or those who lie about their neighbors with reckless abandon. Or taking the lives of unborn children in the womb, setting a house on fire, and watching with glee as the occupants suffocate and die, or intentionally manipulating figures to look good after mismanagement and misappropriation of funds. Don’t you sometimes feel like Bob Marley and the Wailers, who in 1973 sang, “Stop that train, I’m leaving.” No wonder many people want to escape the world and move to Mars. It makes us question the effectiveness of the Gospel and the labors of missionaries and religious leaders worldwide. Has Christianity failed? G.K. Chesterton would say, no, Christianity hasn’t failed; it just has never been tried. If enough people lived the Gospel message in its fullness, the difference would be clear for all to see.  

 

3. The parable of the weed and the wheat reminds us of the need for saints and sinners to coexist. After all, God created both saints and sinners out of love. The weed or darnel was so indistinguishable from wheat at its early growth stage that it was called bastard wheat. One may uproot the wheat in an attempt to uproot the weed; hence, the farmer must wait patiently till harvest time. The wheat and the weed must be allowed to grow together till the end. The first reading from the book of Wisdom tells us, “You (God) taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; and you gave your children good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.” No matter how bad the world may be, there is still hope for those with faith. In the second reading, Paul urges us to ask the Spirit for prayer assistance. We are weak; on our own, we can do nothing good. For that reason, “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groaning. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.” 

 

4. The readings teach us that the world has hostile power competing with the power to do Good. The power of evil always seeks to destroy the Good in us. Evil can disguise and fool us like the (darnel) weed. They looked exactly alike in shape and size. There is only a slight color variation. But when eaten, the darnel is poisonous. We often do evil because of its seeming instant satisfaction. That is what St. Paul meant when he said, “For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.” (Rom. 7:19). Like Paul, we must trust in the mercy of God, to overcome our weaknesses. We must be on our guard so that evil may not overpower us. Because it is not always easy to distinguish those who wish us good from those who seek to destroy us. It’s not written on our faces the intentions of our hearts.  

  

5. In the parable, the servants asked the Master, ‘Did you not sow good seed in your field?’ Where have the weeds come from?” He answered, ‘An enemy had done this.’” Who is your enemy? Who is ready to plant the lousy seed on your farm? They are those who laugh with and eat with you and who you confide in, but they will tell your business to the whole world. They will block your promotion and makeup stories about you. They are your trusted friends who tell you how much they care for you. But they are just waiting for you to fall asleep for them to plant weed among your wheat. They intend to destroy you. They will come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inside are ravenous wolves. Why do they hate you? Because they are jealous of your achievements, your children, and everything you are and own. They come to you as friends to easily access your life and know where to hit and destroy you. They are in Church, in your office, and your neighborhood. Beware of them! They may appear to be your friend, but they are devil-incarnate, and those you think are your enemies may be those who care about you.  

 

6. The parable also teaches us that judgment belongs to God, yet he is slow to anger but rich in mercy. This is how the first reading puts it, “But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you.” In the end, evil will be overcome. There is a seed of destruction in every demon. It has a day of reckoning and will sooner than later destroy itself. On judgment day, a day of harvest, the weed will be gathered and burnt. It doesn’t matter how long evil triumphs; one day, it will end, and the children of light will shine like the stars of heaven. The parable warns us against judging people. It is wrong to be quick in judging and condemning people without knowing the facts about them. It is wrong to judge someone by one single act or stage in life. We must give people the benefit of doubt. Judgment cannot come until the end of our lives. In the end, the judgment of God will come on all sinners. Swift and jungle justice is not the solution for human beings. Man can have a change of mind and heart at any time. All judgments must be left in God’s domain, for if you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who can stand? (Ps. 129:3) Let us pray that the Holy Spirit may aid us as we pursue a life of holiness and justice and recognize the hidden enemies of our lives. Amen.  

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP. 

July 16, 2023; 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

 

Readings: Isaiah 55:10-11; Romans 8:18-23; Matthew 13:1-23

The Word of God is Alive and Effective

1.     Today Jesus tells us a parable of a Sower who went out to sow his seed and the four types of soil that received the seed. The Sower is God, who created us out of love and planted the seed of faith in our hearts. “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will endure.” (Jn. 15:16). God’s gift is bestowed on us gratuitously. It is a gift – a blessing and grace completely unmerited. If we cooperate with God’s gift of faith, we will be changed and transformed. The soil stands for the different hearts that receive God’s word. Each person must accept or reject God’s offer of grace.

2.     We do not respond to God’s gift of grace for many reasons. In the first reading, Isaiah, the prophet, pleads with the captives in Babylon. He assured them that God would bring them out of bondage, after years in captivity, to their homeland in God’s own time. They gave in to discouragement and despair and turned their backs on God. So, Isaiah compared the word of God to the rain and the snow that can keep the world green and alive. God is faithful to his promises, which will come true in its time. “Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets so that one can read it readily. For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late.” (Habakkuk 2:2-4). God’s word came true indeed. After roughly 50 years in exile, the children of Israel were liberated by the Persians, who destroyed the Babylonian empire, and allowed them to return home. Like Isaiah compared the word of God to rain and snow, Jesus compares God’s word today to the seed planted by the Sower. 

3.     The way we react to the word of God is, sometimes, determined by our socio-cultural environments. Sometimes, we allow situations to affect how we respond to God’s grace. According to St Paul, in the second reading, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.” Being aware of human suffering, Paul tells us to imagine the human and created world as being involved in one giant act of giving birth, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains.” Then he added, “We ourselves… groan inwardly while we wait for… the redemption of our bodies.” (Romans 8:23). Paul believed redemption would occur in the kingdom of God on a day when all people would see themselves as adopted children of God. The word of God will help us to achieve this goal. “Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” (Rom. 10:17). Therefore, we must be disposed and willing to put his word into practice. Hence the story of the Sower.

4.     The parable presents us with four responses to the generosity of the Sower. Note that in only one case was the word rejected outright. In the other three cases, it was received with joy. The problem is not in receiving the word but in treasuring, and putting it into practice. Thus, there are different ways of accepting God’s word, and the fruit it produces depends on the heart of him who accepts it. The fate of any spoken word depends on the hearer. (a) The seed on the path are those who lack the moral disposition necessary for true conversion. They hear the word without understanding. They ask no questions and have no time to study what they do not understand. They cast it by the wayside as soon as they received the word. They allow pride and prejudice to shut the word from their hearts. They are unteachable and blind to the fact that they do not know. They harden their hearts, close their eyes to the truth, and turn their back on the word. As birds feast on seed, so does the devil feast on their weak faith and snatch the word from their fickle hearts. (b) The second seed falls on rocky ground that has little soil. One may profess faith in the Lord, but such spirituality is shallow and superficial. These people are emotional and are swept off their feet when they hear the word. They fail to think things out and think them through. They are at the mercy of every new and crazy idea. Their lives are littered with things they began and never finished. When this attitude is applied to the word of God, one is faced with a disaster. They mistake emotional attraction for deep faith. No one lives on emotion. We have minds, and it is a moral obligation to have intelligent faith. Christianity has its demands, which must be met before it is accepted. The Christian offer is not only a privilege but also a responsibility. A sudden enthusiasm can always so quickly become a dying fire. 

5.     (c) The third seed fails to grow because thorns choke it to death. Here is someone who cannot let go and let God rule his life. In his order of priorities, God does not rank very high. Prestige, power, possession, and pride take precedence. This person has so many life interests that he completely skewed his priorities. He is too busy to pray, too preoccupied with material things, family life, work, business, and other social activities in the community. Reading the bible or finding time for spiritual things becomes a distraction. And going to Mass is an interruption or, at best, a disturbance of his Sunday schedule. He may be so involved in committees and good works of charitable services that it leaves him no time for himself or God. He is so involved in the work of the Lord that he forgets the Lord of the work. We must be careful not to block God out of our busy lives. (d) The fourth seed sprouts and produces a rich harvest. The word of God penetrates a person’s entire being and permeates his whole existence. The yield is bountiful in love and compassion, honesty and simple lifestyle, and concern for the discouraged and the downtrodden. This person has an open mind; he is willing to learn and prepared to listen. He is never too proud or too busy to listen and learn. He understands the importance of taking advice and counsel from wise friends and knows the value of good spiritual reading. He translates what he hears into action and produces the good fruit of the good seed. Four seeds, one Sower. The actual hearers are those who listen, who understand, and who obey. They yield a harvest through their perseverance.

6.     Today’s readings call us to action. They remind us that God’s word will bear fruit abundantly regardless of how it is received. His word has power and can help us live better lives. “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints, and marrows, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.” (Heb. 4:12-13). Let us pray with St James in his first chapter, verse 22, that we may “Be doers of the word and not hearers only.” Amen.

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP