By Fr. Marcel Uzoigwe, C.S.Sp. Wis.12:13,16-19, Rom.8:26-27, Matt.13:24-43.
Dear Friends in Christ,
Our society has changed a lot. Most children today know nothing about agriculture. One child was asked where eggs and vegetables come from. He replied that they come from the supermarket. You can’t blame the child. Every farm product comes from the supermarket. At least, that’s where you buy them, and that’s all some children born in the city know about farm products.
Growing up with my parents in the village, we had a farm where we planted different kinds of seeds. There I experienced today’s parable that Jesus used to convey a message about the kingdom of God. After tilling a field, we sow the seeds. Within a few days or weeks, the seeds germinate. As the seeds grow, we notice another seed growing around or near the good seed. Sometimes the planted seeds and the weeds looked alike: they shared the same soil nutrients, enjoyed the same weather, and received the same amount of water and sun. Before harvest, we weed the farm. If we weed too early, some desirable crops may be unknowingly uprooted. No matter how careful we are, good seeds will always be tampered with in the field.
Jesus told a parable about a man who had planted good seeds in his field. But at night the enemy came and planted weeds among the grain. The weeds germinated along with the wheat. The servants of the owner of the field where the good seed had been planted asked to remove the weeds from the wheat. The request was refused because by doing so they might also remove the good seed.
The enemy is identified in the parable as the devil. His intent is made clear. It is to destroy the good done and plant evil. Just as Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). It is difficult in life to identify the adversary because some actions seem good at first, but are later discovered to be evil in intent. It is also difficult to know people’s intentions behind their actions. As Shakespeare wrote, “There is no act to find the mind’s construction in the face.” So we can facilitate the enemy’s plan without knowing it. The master in the parable was wise enough not to allow his servants to clear the weeds when the right time has not yet come. It takes time and patience to discover and understand what is not immediately obvious to the senses. Moreover, separating herbs and weeds takes time and patience. Just as the good seed and the weeds are similar, so too, in many cases, good and evil are not immediately recognizable on the surface.
St. Augustine used the image of the two cities to indicate the struggle between evil and good. He called the first Babylon, the second Jerusalem. And he used the story of Cain and Abel from the book of Genesis (Genesis 4:1-16) to illustrate it. He took Babylon to mean confusion, and Jerusalem to represent the vision of peace. He indicated that by looking closely at the city of confusion, one understands better the vision of peace. That implies that the presence of evil can serve to recognize its opposite which is the good that man must strive for, just as darkness enables us to appreciate the light.
The parable of the Sower is also a signpost for our lives. The wheat and the weeds are both present in our hearts. There is always an inward struggle between good and bad within the hearts of men. We see the effect only when people give in to them. When someone gives in to anger, for instance, and acts accordingly, only then do we know what has been going on in him. Likewise, we know that someone loves us, not just when the person says it but when we experience it in action. That calls us to deep reflection. Do I recognize the weeds within myself? Do I know how to deal with it to avoid scattering it in others? Do I have the patience to know when and how to uproot them without endangering the good in me?
That invites us to learn how to discern. Discernment is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor.12:10). It is the ability to judge situations properly, and have a good understanding of the moral and practical consequences of our decisions. If we possess the gift of discernment, costly mistakes, and misfortune will always be avoided. With discernment, we recognize whether or not something is truly from God, in accordance with God’s will, or in consonance with the devil’s agenda.
We have the example of Gamaliel in the Acts of the Apostles. He discerned properly during the persecution of the apostles before the Sanhedrin by advising them to leave the apostles and let them alone; because if what they were doing was of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God the Jewish leaders will not be able to stop them, rather they might even find out that they were fighting against God” (Acts 5:34-39). Without discernment, we cannot distinguish the wolves in sheep’s clothing, or the true prophet from the false prophet (Matt.7:15).
The good news is that we can pray and ask for the gift of discernment and be assured that God will grant it to us. Paul assures us in the second reading that the Holy Spirit can help us to pray properly in accordance with the mind of God. That is of great encouragement. Besides, the other two parables in the Gospel reading speak of the potential for growth in a positive direction. The first is the parables of the mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. This smallest of all seeds grew to become a big tree that the birds of the air come and shelter in its branches. The second is the parable of the yeast a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through. These give the confidence that divine power working through us can accomplish infinite greatness (cf. Ephesians 3: 20).
The gift of discernment will enable us to learn from Jesus. There is always a struggle between the forces of good and evil. There is a need to be patient and not be quickly judgmental. Rather we need to tolerate and pray for one another. A sinner today may be a saint tomorrow. A prodigal son today may come to his senses tomorrow and return home a changed person. The first reading described God as strong and just in his judgment, yet lenient to all. By doing so, he has taught a lesson to his people that the virtuous man must be kindly to his fellow men, and has given us the good hope that after sin he will grant repentance.
Learning to discern is to follow Jesus’ example. May God grant us the gift of discernment to separate what is fundamental and good from what is transient and evil so that we may seek first the kingdom of God in all things.