asleep, his enemy came, and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the
plants sprouted and produced grain, the weeds also appeared. Then, the servants of the
owner came, and said to him, ‘Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field?
Where did the weeds come from?’ He answered them, ‘This is the work of an enemy.’
They asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?’ He told them, ‘No, when
you pull up the weeds, you might uproot the wheat with them. Let them grow together,
until harvest; and, at harvest time, I will say to the workers: Pull up the weeds first, tie
them in bundles and burn them; then gather the wheat into my barn.’” Jesus offered
them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took
and sowed in his field. It is smaller than all other seeds, but once it is fully grown, it is
bigger than any garden plant; like a tree, the birds come and rest in its branches.”
He told them another parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast that a woman
took, and hid in three measures of flour, until the whole mass of dough began to rise.”
Jesus taught all these things to the crowds by means of parables; he did not say
anything to them without using a parable. This fulfilled what was spoken by the Prophet:
I will speak in parables. I will proclaim things kept secret since the beginning of the world.
Then he sent the crowds away and went into the house. And his disciples came to him,
saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” Jesus answered them,
“The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good
seed are the people of the kingdom; the weeds are those who follow the evil one.
The enemy who sows the weeds is the devil; the harvest is the end of time, and the
workers are the angels. Just as the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so will
it be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will weed out of
his kingdom all that is scandalous and all who do evil. And these will be thrown into the
blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the just will
shine, like the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. If you have ears, then hear.
READ: The Book of Wisdom sings the praise of God who is the source of all judgment
and justice. Paul teaches the Romans that the Spirit will help us, shoring up our
weaknesses and helping us to grow in holiness. The Gospel recounts parables that
help Jesus’ followers grow in understanding of the kingdom of God.
REFLECT: In his public ministry, Jesus often spoke of the kingdom of God, typically
using parables to make his point. He had to use parables because the kingdom of
God is so far beyond our human capacity to understand. God’s kingdom is not what
we expect. It is the very embodiment of God’s love, justice, and mercy. It is much
more that we can imagine.
The kingdom of God gives each of us a chance to grow closer to God. Until the moment
of our death, God will keep calling us back to him, hoping that we will return to his
loving arms. His mercy is always available. All we need to do is to ask for his forgiveness.
Like the yeast that leavens the dough or the mustard seed, his forgiveness is expansive
and able to welcome all who draw near.
PRAY: Lord, help us to seek your kingdom before all else.
ACT: Make a good examination of conscience and seek God’s forgiveness.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023