José Ricardo F. Bezerra and Felipe Bezerra
In the Gospel of this 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A (Mt 13:24-43), the Church continues to meditate on chapter 13 of Saint Matthew, the great chapter of the parables. After the parable of the sower, Jesus presents to us the parable of the weeds and the wheat (and its explanation to the disciples), accompanied by two others: the mustard seed and the yeast. Once again, the Lord takes images from our daily life to reveal supernatural realities to us: in the field of the world, and also in the field of our heart, the wheat and the weeds grow together until the harvest. It is a parable about God’s patience, about the mystery of evil, and about the hope that the Lord places in each one of us.
As we have been doing, we present below five points to help you pray with this Gospel, which we meditated on in the podcast “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wds9lWJQVc), which you can access to listen to our reflection in the language you wish.
1. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like…”
Jesus begins his public preaching by announcing: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Mt 4:17). Matthew, as a good Jew who avoids pronouncing the divine name, prefers to say “Kingdom of Heaven” instead of “Kingdom of God” (Mk 1:15). In the parables, the Lord always begins from a comparison: the Kingdom is not exactly the sower, the net, or the yeast, but it is like those realities. Jesus takes on our language and our concrete life to make us understand what is far beyond us. There is nothing hidden or secret in our faith: the Lord wants to be as clear as possible, because the Kingdom is not “here” nor “there”, it is already in our midst, within reach.
2. “The one who sows the good seed…”
Who is the man who sowed the good seed in his field? Jesus himself explains: it is the Son of Man (Mt 13:37). Origen (185-254 A.D.), a Father of the Church, called Jesus autobasileia, the Kingdom in person. The disciples, sent to proclaim the Kingdom, understood afterward that the Kingdom was Jesus himself. And the good seed are those who belong to the Kingdom (Mt 13:38), that is, ourselves when we desire to belong to the Lord. But be careful: we are not always in that condition. Sometimes we fall, we drift away, and for that reason we cannot boast, saying “I am certainly wheat”. As Saint Paul warns: “Whoever thinks he is standing should take heed lest he fall” (1Cor 10:12). What sustains us is perseverance: “Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved” (Mt 24:13).
3. “Who are the weeds?”
In the explanation of the parable, Jesus gives three characteristics of the weeds: “they are those who belong to the Evil One” (…), “those who cause others to sin and those who do evil” (Mt 13:38,41). Before pointing the finger, it is good to look within: how many times have we ourselves, in certain moments, been weeds? King David, the anointed of God, sinned and led others to sin (cf. 2Sm 11-12). Peter, chosen to be the Head of the apostles, denied Jesus three times (cf. Mt 26:69-75) and, even so, the Lord did not cast him aside: he had already entrusted him with the governance of his Church and confirmed him: “feed my sheep” (Jn 21:15-17). Here is the great lesson against the haste to “cancel”, cut off, and condemn people: the possibility of conversion exists. David repented (cf. Ps 50/51), Peter wept bitterly (cf. Mt 26:75) and returned. To resemble Jesus is to believe in people even when they sin, especially when they sin, and to say: “Come back, there is still time”.
4. “The enemy who sowed the weeds is the devil”
In opposition to the Son of Man, who sows the good seed, stands the enemy who sows the weeds: the devil (cf. Mt 13:39), the one who divides, who spreads intrigue, confusion, and separation. The parable is clear: God is not the author of evil. But why, then, does evil exist? Saint Augustine teaches that evil is not a created “thing”, but a privation of good, just as darkness is the absence of light and cold, the absence of heat. God permits it because he created us free and because he is able to draw greater goods even out of evil itself. The supreme proof was his death on the Cross: from the worst crime that humanity could commit, killing the Son of God, the Lord opened the possibility of salvation for all. Jesus has already conquered evil, sin, and death.
5. “The harvest”
Why does the owner of the field not allow the workers to pull up the weeds at once? Because the weeds and the wheat are almost identical in appearance, and in pulling up one, they would risk pulling up the other. This is the patience and mercy of God: in this present time they grow together, and there is time for conversion. But there will be a harvest, at the end of time, when the angels will make the separation. The contrast is strong: for some there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth”, the reality of hell that the Lord, in his mercy, does not hide from us; for others, a luminous promise: “the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father” (Mt 13:43). Saint John of the Cross compares this union with God to wood that, cast into the fire, becomes incandescent and shining like the fire itself; and Saint Teresa of Ávila speaks of the two candles whose flames unite into one. Those who now weep and are tested will shine, like Moses, whose face shone after meeting with God (cf. Ex 34:29-35), and like the Virgin Mary, clothed with the sun (cf. Rev 12:1).
Steps of the Lectio to pray with this Gospel
Reading (lectio): Read Matthew 13:24-43 calmly. Observe the characters: the sower, the enemy, the impatient workers, the reapers. Note the response of the owner of the field: “Let them grow together until the harvest”.
Meditation (meditatio): Do I recognize that within my heart both weeds and wheat are growing? Am I in a hurry to “cut off” and condemn others, forgetting that the Lord is patient with me? What have I nourished more in my life: what bears fruit or what is empty?
Prayer (oratio): Speak to the Lord with sincerity. Ask for the grace of a sincere conversion, of not allowing resentment and evil to prevail in your heart, and for the grace of final perseverance.
Contemplation (contemplatio): Adore Jesus, the divine Sower, who believes in you and does not give up on you. Contemplate the promise: “the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father”.
Action (actio): Make a good examination of conscience regarding the three characteristics of the weeds mentioned in the parable: the times when you belonged to the Evil One by being his instrument, or led others into sin, or even did evil yourself. Repent, seeking in Confession the Lord’s forgiveness.
Conclusion: an invitation to prayer
In this parable the Lord entrusts to us his patience and his mercy. He is not in a hurry to condemn us: he is in a hurry to save us. Therefore, it is not the time to give up: now is the time to return, to rise once more, to have recourse to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to receive the grace of a new heart. Begin your prayer with us:
“Lord, we praise you and we bless you for this parable that you entrust to us. You allow the weeds to grow together with the wheat, because many times we ourselves resemble that weed: we have the appearance of wheat, but our heart is far from You. Grant us the grace of a sincere conversion, to uproot all evil from our hearts and not to allow resentment to win, but rather that your forgiveness may renew us. Grant us the grace of final perseverance, that we may be with you in eternity. Virgin Mary, Mother of mercy, give us a heart like that of Jesus, meek, humble, and merciful. Amen.”
May this week each of our encounters leave people happier than they were, may we be wheat that produces fruits of charity, goodness, and beauty in the lives of others.
Until next Sunday!
Shalom!
In the Formation section you will find the lectio texts of the other Sundays. From Monday to Saturday we have a short video; on Sunday, our podcast with the Sunday Gospel for you to meditate and pray. Subscribe to the channel @FelizesOsQueOuvem and invite others, so that more people may love and pray with the Word of God. Leave your “like” and share it with your friends. God bless you. Shalom!
Watch our complete reflection on the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wds9lWJQVc with subtitles you select in your language.
