Wheat and weeds = “wheeds”
The story is told about a man who said to his wife: “You know, you are beautiful but stupid at the same time.” The wife responded: “Yes. God made me beautiful, that’s why you got attracted to me. And God made me stupid, that’s why I got attracted to you.”
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The parable of the wheat and the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30) best describes the situation our country is now in. It seems like we are in a no-win situation right now, with different factions standing their ground, with no prospect of unity and peace in sight. One even gets the feeling that the evildoers seem to get the upper hand and to get away with all their dirty tricks. One might even ask: Where is God? Is He sleeping? Why does He allow the evildoers to prosper and the good to suffer? The Good News is that God does not sleep. He knows everything, and He will make all things beautiful, in His time. Like the parable of the wheat and the weeds, the good and the righteous, not the liars and the evildoers will triumph.
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There are wheats, and there are weeds in us and among us. The battle rages on. And then, there are people who vacillate between being wheat and weed, “wheeds,” let us call them. They are the fence-sitters who do not take a stand, who evaluate and assess the situation, and eventually come out only when it is already safe and profitable to do so. Wheeds are neither hot nor cold, neither here nor there. Wheeds, you may survive and thrive in life, but in the end, wheeds, be warned: “Because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16)
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“Why do evildoers seem to prosper and good people seem to suffer in this world?” This is a question that has been raised, and continues to be raised in our age and time. Perhaps you yourself are raising the question in frustration right now. Perhaps today’s parable of the wheat and the weeds and the ensuing parable of the yeast and the mustard seed can provide us the answer: For a reason, for a mission, for now.
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For a reason: the presence of weeds in our life can help us grow and bear fruit. Sin and suffering make us stronger, more resilient, and more trusting. Without weeds, we may become complacent, indulgent, and end up fruitless. The weeds we encounter in life not only make us stronger but also more fruitful.
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For a mission: We are to participate in spreading goodness and help pull out the weeds in God’s kingdom. While we cannot on our own win over the enemy, all of us must do our share in weeding out the enemy. We are warned that we are dealing with a formidable and cunning enemy, but this is not a losing battle for us.
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For now, the seeming victory of the enemy is temporary. Final victory is ours. “Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, ‘first collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning, but gather the wheat in my barn.’” We must not be impatient. We must trust, believe, and keep on believing that goodness will triumph over evil in the end.
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In everything that happens in our life, there is a reason, there is a mission, and there is a transition. Faith helps us believe that there is a reason. Love urges us to do our mission. Hope moves us to believe that everything is for now, and so we move on. If everything happens for a reason, then we must not be impatient. If everything happens for a mission, then we must not be complacent. If everything happens for now, then we must not be faint-hearted.
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Let us not be dismayed when we experience the battle between good and evil in this world. Let us continue to believe that goodness triumphs in the end. And let us not be discouraged when we experience the battle between good and evil within ourselves. Today, allow the Lord to tell you: “My child, you are not that good, but, you are not that bad either.” If you agree, and smile with this thought, you are free, and you are fine. One with you in humbly accepting our weeds within, but also acknowledging humbly our wheat that is slowly but surely growing.
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A moment with the Lord:
Lord, thank you for reminding us that we are not that good, but, that we are not that bad either. Amen.
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