16th SUNDAY IN
ORDINARY TIME
Romans 8:26-27:
Matthew 13:24-43
"I will speak to you in parables and expound
things hidden since the foundation of the world.”
We began last Sunday to listen to the parabolic discourse of Jesus in Matthew's version. This will go on until next Sunday. Indeed, there are so many parables and allegories to picture the kingdom of heaven. But today, we are given three of them: the parable of the weeds, the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the yeast. Each of them has a very relevant lesson to tell. Let us meditate on these lessons.
1. "Sir, it was good seed that you sowed in
your field; where did the weeds come from?" - - - This question is as
old as humanity. It might have taken various forms but the thought remains the same.
It tries to confront the problem of evil which constantly worries man. Especially
in the case of Christianity which always preaches a loving God, the presence of
evil puzzles the believer and at times even rocks his faith. Is not God good
and everything he made also good? Then, why these evil and sufferings?
The parable of the weeds teaches us about God's forbearance.
Such forbearance expresses itself through God's permissive will. God does not
directly will evil and suffering in this world. What he sowed were good seeds
and nothing but good. But pain and suffering enter the world because of the evil
one. They are the weeds the devil sowed: "This is the work of the
enemy.”
This is one clear point of the parable. But sometimes, we are not satisfied with it and we go as far as asking why God tolerates the evil forces. Certainly, this is a difficult question. Its perfect answer can perhaps be sought only from God himself. So, we better just ask God later when we go to heaven. But as far as reason can reach, we know that this is what freewill means. Freewill is God's greatest gift to man. But it just belongs to the very nature of freewill not to be interrupted, lest, it would be no freewill at all. Perhaps, this can be the toughest consequence of freewill, but surely, it is freewill that likens us to our Maker. Great gifts are just that dear and costly.
This makes us understand why man's life is always a constant struggle. Even our simplest experience attests to it. There will always be opposition to every good that we do and are trying to do. Weeds are always there. They even look like wheat. At times, they even grow much faster. This explains, therefore, the more painful fact which usually happens in this world. Bad things seem to flourish more easily and even receive more recognition than the good ones. In situations tike this, we cry out to heaven and demand for justice. Sadly, we don't get it as soon as soon as we want to. But this is again what the parable would want to teach us further. The wheat maybe pulled together with the weeds. Of course, the wisdom of this lies not on the fact that neither God nor the angels know how to distinguish the bad from the good. Rather, it is best interpreted as to mean God's relentless patience as to give the bad all the chances to be good. That is why we must not be surprised why at times those whom we consider rough at first are just that fine in the end. The grace of repentance is always offered even up to the last minute. God's in all .hopes to work so that the weeds would finally become wheat one day.
But God ultimately dispenses his justice, anyhow. In the most proper time and in a most proper way, he stands as the most righteous and fairest judge of the universe. At the final Day of Judgment, no one can hold him back. On that day, the good ones shall find their consolation and reward as the wheat are carried into the barn; whereas the bad ones would end up with God's wrath as the weeds are burned to the eternal fires.
2. “It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the biggest shrub of all.” The parable of the mustard seed is the second allegorical presentation of God's kingdom in today's gospel. Once more, it gives us another paradox. The greatness of God's kingdom is founded on its humble origin. And the fact that it runs this way, simply shows how rewarding it is. Any achievement derived from a humble beginning is worth a pride. And this is precisely because a humble beginning is something to handle with care. Those who start with abundance are most likely to follow the path of extravagance. But those who start with so little take extra care not to lose whatever little they have. That is why the simple and the unknown guy who has climbed the ladder of success will always have his story to tell. And he tells it with pride and honor. Then, his story surely becomes everybody's favorite.
Such is the case of the Church, of the earthly life of God’s kingdom. Her humble beginnings
point back to her founder, to the simple folks who made the circle of the first
followers, to the insignificant place of
3. The third parable is that of the yeast. The parable sets us to recognize the wonder that happens in the kitchen when mother bakes bread. An insignificant amount of yeast, once mixed with a larger quantity of flour, makes a wholesome change. No one may recognize how it works. It is quite invisible to the eye. But certainly the effect is magnanimous and wonderful once finished.
God's kingdom works so similarly as the yeast. Its wonder precisely consists in the mystery of transformation. True, it comes in various ways. Sometimes, it comes at once. At times, it comes much later than we expect. And still at other times, we even feel frustrated since it seems it will never come at all. But in whatever case, God’s kingdom works directly into one's heart.
The grace of conversion is strictly and exclusively a business between man and God. Thus, it comes so secretly. But once it enters into man's system and penetrates into his innermost being, it truly transforms him from passivity to activity, from indifference to involvement and participation. It even transforms sinners into saints. Such was the case of Magdalene, of Dimas, of Augustine, and of many more. That is why we must not pretend to have the monopoly of grace and salvation, no matter how authority are we in the church. God's grace works beyond human standards. Like yeast, it works so secretly and silently. And before we recognize it, we just see and hear our parishioners testify how the hands of God have touched their lives. Life to them was meaningless before. But once moved by the yeast, life became never the same again.