Living Wisely
A reflection on the Parable of the Weeds and the vital call to discernment.
Jesus knew that the world—and even the communities of faith within it—would be a complicated mix of good and bad.
One of the most powerful examples of this is the Parable of the Weeds from Matthew 13. This is what Jesus said:
"The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.
When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servant came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”
Parables like this can be difficult to understand, and making a single blanket statement about their meaning would be a mistake. So, what can we take away from this?
We need a basis for discerning what is healthy (wheat) from what is harmful (weeds). We can never overemphasize the importance of using the Fruit of the Spirit as our guide: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. These qualities are the true mark of healthy spiritual growth and provide a way to navigate a world where good and bad grow side-by-side.
The purpose of a story (parable) like this one from Jesus (who is God) is to be carried with you. I recommend spending time dwelling on it, wrestling with the ideas Jesus has given us.
