“Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?” Looking at this first question, we can, with great certainty, reply with a resounding, “yes!” Yes, God planted good seed. Life is good. God intended us to have a good and happy life. “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed into his field.” Jesus is the sower who plants only good seed into the field of the world. The disciples of Jesus are sent out into the world to plant the seeds of righteousness, justice and peace. Throughout history, the Body of Christ, the Church, has been in the field of the world planting good seed. Everything that Jesus does in the world is good. If we look at history objectively, we see how the Church, those men and women who have been called to holiness and inspired by the Holy Spirit, have always provided for the needs of the poor, healed and comforted those who are suffering, educated those who desired to grow in the truth and worked for peace through justice. Christians have built hospitals, schools and homeless shelters. The great philanthropists in history have been the holy saints of the Church. Jesus is the one person who sows only good seed, who works in the day and allows everything to be done in the light. There is no sin in Jesus, no hint of evil, no pride or self-righteousness. There is only mercy, compassion, kindness and goodness in Jesus. There is nothing to fear with Jesus beside us, we only need to have faith. We lose nothing with Jesus in our lives, we only gain eternal life. Jesus is the visible face of the Father, who is love and who is all good. God is good all the time! Goodness, truth, beauty, peace, meaning, kindness, justice, forgiveness, healing, new life, holiness, faith, hope and love, these are just a few of the good things, the good seed, that Jesus brings to the world and sows into the field of the world. Good seed planted to bear good fruit!
The parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the yeast are examples of the great potential that the seeds that Jesus sows have in our world. Even the smallest of seeds and the hidden properties of growth can become something great and needed in our world, becoming “a place to dwell in its branches.” Christianity can do great good in our world. The Holy Spirit, as St. Paul tells the Romans today, intercedes for us, comes to our aid in our weakness, and helps us to realize God’s will. The intention of the Holy Spirit is to be a helper, an advocate, a friend who stands with us, supports us and leads us to the truth of the Father’s love. As Jesus tells us time and again, “Whoever has ears, ought to hear!”
We have ears to hear, eyes to see and a heart and mind that can understand. Sadly, we are too often deaf, blind and foolish when it comes to attending to the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven that are hidden among us. The parables of Jesus teach us that the kingdom of heaven is so near to us, even now among us in the Christian church, if only we could pay attention to its revelation and put into practice the teachings of the Eternal Word, Jesus. As St. Paul reminds us in Romans, “Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” (Rom 10,17)
So, why does the world not receive the word of Christ? Why is there such great opposition to the growth of Christianity in the world? Why is the word of truth so often rejected even in our own country today? It is good seed that promises abundant life - what more could we ask for? Why do we so often fail to understand the Way of Jesus that leads us to eternal life and a life of beatitude in this world? Ah yes, the weeds. Where have the weeds come from? There is an enemy who opposes Jesus and his disciples among us.
Good seed was planted and we could have such a beautiful and peaceful world, sheltering and nurturing our growth in holiness and peace. What we see is that there are weeds that have been sown among the wheat. The weeds are the sons of destruction, the children of the evil one, who appear on the outside to be like the children of light but are, in fact, children of darkness. God has not done this, rather, an enemy has come in the dark of night and planted the seeds of his destructive lies. The enemy of God is the devil and he plants the noxious weeds among the wheat. There are those in the world who will not listen to the Words of Truth that Jesus proclaims to the world. There are those who will never understand the Way that would lead us to abundant life. Jesus tells his enemies in the gospel of John, “Why do you not understand what I am saying? Because you cannot bear to hear my word. You belong to your father the devil and you willingly carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe me. Can any of you charge me with sin? If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not listen, because you do not belong to God.” (Jn 8,43-47)
Jesus comes into the world to teach us the Way of God and to lead us to the fullness of life. He gives us the sacraments so that we might become the adopted children of God and truly belong to God, finding life in the Word of God. Jesus is a great light that brings us hope that our world might become enlightened and become a place of great peace and prosperity. However, as Jesus tells Nicodemus in John, “And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.” (Jn 3,19-21) People have a choice to be made between light and darkness, truth and lies, good and evil, life and death, the spirit and the flesh and being a child of light and the kingdom or a child of darkness and the devil. Many will choose sin and hide their selfish ways in the darkness of unbelief. John writes in his letter to the Church, “No one who is begotten by God commits sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot sin because he is begotten by God. In this way, the children of God and the children of the devil are made plain; no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God, nor anyone who does not love his brother or sister.” (1Jn 3,9f)
So, what are we to do about those pesky weeds that we see living in the same field of the world as the good wheat? Those weeds seem to be robbing us of so much potential growth and happiness. Couldn’t we just eliminate them and tear them up by the roots? Jesus says: no. Perhaps a weed will turn out to be a wheat in the end! As Wisdom says today, “you taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; and you gave your children good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.” God is patient and lenient to all and he is always hoping to find just one more good wheat plant, that bears his hidden seed, hidden among the weeds. Perhaps you are that plant. If you have ears, then hear and understand the way that leads to life in abundance. Amen!