July 28, 2012 - Matthew 13:24-30

In today's Gospel, Jesus uses a parable to teach the crowds about the Kingdom of Heaven. The parable is about a man who sowed good seeds in his field and then retired for the night to sleep. Then, while he was sleeping, an enemy came in the night and planted bad seeds all through his field so that weeds would choke off his crop. When the crop started producing, so did the weeds and both grew together in the field. However, to avoid his wheat from being pulled up with the weeds, he asked his slaves to "Let them grow together until the harvest" (Mt 13:30). This way the wheat would have fully taken root and the weeds could be pulled without damaging the crop.

I am reminded of the many times I try to give my children stong advice. The advice I give them is the wheat and the distractions, bad influences, choices they make, are the weeds. In time, I know that the advice I give them will eventually take root. And when I see them act on the advice I give them, I know then that the weeds in their lives have become weak. Those weeds that were preventing them from making good decisions, have been pulled from their life garden. God knows that we are going to be tempted all the time while we strive to be good. But when the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, we should be ready like the crop at harvest time to reap all the good we have done so that we can take the bad and "tie them in bundles for burning" (Mt 13-30).


Meditation: Matthew 13:24-30 (http://wau.org/meditations/2012/07/28)

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