The Righteous Will Shine like the Sun in
the Kingdom of Their Father
Introduction: May you be guided by the prompting of
the Holy Spirit as you seek to be headed to the Reign of GOD.
When we drive cars with GPS switched on,
the system prompts us which way we should turn to arrive at the destination which
has been entered into the device. If all things work correctly, we can be guided
to where we want to go. There are a few things which can prevent us from arriving
at the intended location. One problem might be that we entered the wrong address
into the GPS. Another thing might be our choice not to follow the prompting of the
GPS. Still another problem is that there may be problems (just happening road construction,
traffic, or an accident) of which the GPS is not aware as of yet. If we purposefully
decided to not follow the prompting of the GPS, the GPS will say, “Recalculating,”
and plot a new course which will get me back on track toward our ultimate goal.
In our spiritual journey, similar things
happen. We are on a journey toward GOD. Our “GOD Provided Spirit” (GPS) will prompt
us as we head toward our ultimate destination. We can choose to disregard the prompting
of the Holy Spirit. This will cause the GPSpirit to recalculate how we can get back
on track. The Holy Spirit always knows where we should be heading, but we can refuse
to follow what turns we should make to arrive at the house of our Abba-Father Who
happens to be GOD. How much easier it is if we follow the GOD Provided Spirit.
Today we are faced with a universal and
perennial question: “Why is there evil in the world?” Our readings provide us with
some mental food for our digestion. From our reflection, hopefully will come greater
growth – personally and communally. The reading from Wisdom describes some of GOD’s
attributes: being just in the treatment of both the Good and the bad among us. GOD
will eventually deal harshly with sinners, while being lenient with those who seek
GOD’s forgiveness. The psalm picks up this theme with the refrain from verse 5:
“LORD, You are Good and forgiving.” St. Paul, in the continuation of the eighth
chapter of his letter to Romans, speaks of our weakness and the need of the intercession
of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel presents three parables about the growth of the Reign
of Heaven. The Reign of GOD starts out small, faces opposition, and grows to produce
greatness.
Commentary: The Book of Wisdom was written in Greek,
shortly before the birth of Jesus, for the Greek-speaking Jews of Alexandria. Much
of it concerns the harsh treatment of the Hebrews in Egypt before the Exodus under
Moses. Here the author has moved on to describe luridly the depravity of the inhabitants
of Canaan before the Israelites arrived in the Holy Land. Nevertheless, God cared
for them and treated them with leniency, giving them opportunity for repentance.
This has two lessons for the readers of the Book: firstly, they too must pardon
the sinner and be kindly with God’s own kindness. Secondly, God always gives a chance
to repent of sins and follies, and this applies to us too. This leniency is a sign
of God’s strength. Leniency and generosity is always a sign strength rather than
of weakness, just as it is always the stronger person who apologizes first. The
reading is appointed to be read today in order to pair with the gospel-reading,
emphasizing a possible reading of the Parable of the Wheat and the Darnel: the owner
of the field leaves the darnel in place till harvest, that is, till the final judgement,
thus leaving the wicked a chance to repent
The psalm picks up this theme with the
refrain from verse 5: “LORD, You are Good and forgiving.” The compassionate and
forgiving ways of GOD are expounded in Psalm 86. GOD’s dealing with the repentant
sinners is again described in words which speak of a very understanding GOD: Good,
forgiving, abounding in kindness, hearing the cries of those who call, great doer
of wondrous deeds, merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in fidelity, full
of piety. GOD desires that all nations and all persons turn toward this loving LORD
of all and give worship and glory to GOD for GOD’s patient care to all who have
chosen the wrong path, yet desire to get back on the right path. The LORD wants
everyone to find the Way to full relationship with this loving GOD.
Commentary: This is an encouraging confirmation by
Paul that when we pray our own miserable prayers are supplemented by the Spirit
of Christ praying within us. What does this mean? Is Paul referring to praying in
tongues, which certainly occurred in his Corinthian community? He himself says that
he had the gift also, though he did not frequently exercise it. It is surely wider
than this. If we pray to praise the glory of God and give thanks for God’s kindness
to us, our own prayer can only be inadequate; but it is supercharged by the Spirit.
Our prayer of repentance likewise, for our repentance can never be adequate. The
same with our protestations of loyalty and commitment. What about our prayer of
petition? We pray desperately for a fine evening for the barbeque (or for rain for
the garden), but perhaps the Spirit deepens this prayer to our real profound desire
to be brought nearer to God by whatever he decides is best for us and those for
whom we care! ‘The prayers that the Spirit makes for God’s holy people are always
in accordance with the mind of God’ – they go beyond our petty and ephemeral requests,
for Christ is praying within us.
In any case, Matthew likes contrasting
figures. We have already had several pairs of images at the end of the Sermon on
the Mount, the broad road and the narrow gate, etc. Many of his longer parables
are based on such oppositions, the two sons (21.28-32), the guests at the wedding-feast
(22.1-14), and especially the parables of the coming judgment (the ten wedding-attendants
(25.1-13) and the last judgment itself (25.31-4).On the whole his characters are
rather caricatures of good and bad, with no more than the minimum of stark colouring,
unlike Luke’s characters who tend to be likeable rogues with both good and bad features
(like ourselves!). Because of this the reader of Matthew is always aware that there
will be a stark day of reckoning at the end, at harvest-time.
The parable of the darnel could almost
be a continuation of the parable of the sower, an illustration of the different
progresses of the seeds in action, the next stage after the sowing. In chapter 18
on the community Matthew shows that there are members of the community who put obstacles
in the way of others; there are lost sheep who need to be reconciled; there are
sinners who seek forgiveness but are unwilling to forgive others. There are even
those who need to be unfavourably judged. This is the mixed community in action!
One way of coming to a better understanding
of the parables is to seek out the circumstances in which Jesus might have told
them, and so his purpose in telling them. These two parables of the mustard seed
and the wheat are both stories of growth. The mustard seed is especially astonishing,
for the seed is little more than a grain of dust, which I have known to grow in
a single year into a six-foot shrub in a Palestinian wadi. The idea of the birds
sheltering in its branches is perhaps a slightly cheerful exaggeration, drawn from
Daniel 4.11! The shrub I mentioned could hardly provide shade to the smallest birds.
The astonishing effect of a pinch of yeast or leaven is obvious to anyone who has
entered a kitchen.
When could Jesus have meant to express
by these images? Perhaps when the disciples were depressed and murmuring. ‘How could
a bunch of a dozen nondescript fishers and tax-collectors like us be classed as
the Kingdom of Heaven?’ ‘Just wait! Things grow’ One third of the world’s population
is said to be Christian.
The interpretation of the parable of the
wheat and the tares occurs, of course, only in Matthew, and is full of Matthean
linguistic characteristics, for he never fails to warn of the dangers of the eschatological
punishment. On the positive side it is reminiscent of Paul’s description of the
final triumph of Christ, when, having conquered sin and the last enemy, Death, he
hands over the Kingdom to God the Father (1 Corinthians 15.24-25). As in the parable
itself, the process seems a little strange: one would expect that the good wheat
would be collected first and then the rest of the field fired afterwards. One would
expect the farmer or the reapers – even angelic reapers – to make certain of the
harvest first! The opposite order, however, gives the advantage of leaving the good
wheat in triumph in the field. It also puts the accent on the gruesome fate of the
wicked by means of the frequent Matthaean phrase about weeping and grinding of teeth.
Matthew is always concerned to warn the wicked, whereas Paul envisages only the
universal triumph of Christ, which hardly leaves room for failures.
Reflection: What can malicious weed-sowing tell us
about the kingdom of God (Matthew 13:25)? The image Jesus uses in this parable is
a common everyday example of planting, harvesting, and sorting the good fruit from
the bad. Weeds can spoil and even kill a good harvest if they are not separated
and destroyed at the proper time. Uprooting them too early, though, can destroy
the good plants in the process.
Letting God's word take deep root in the
heart
Just as nature teaches us patience, so
God's patience also teaches us to guard the seed of his word which he has planted
in our hearts and to beware of the destructive force of sin and evil that can destroy
it. God's word brings life, but Satan seeks to destroy the good seed which has been
planted in the hearts of those who have heard God's word. God's judgment is not
hasty, but it does come. And in the end, God will reward each according to what
they have sown and reaped in this life. In that day God will separate the evil from
the good. Do you allow God's word to take deep root in your heart?
Growth and transformation from within
What can mustard seeds and leaven teach
us about the kingdom of God? The tiny mustard seed literally grew to be a tree which
attracted numerous birds because they loved the little black mustard seed it produced.
God's kingdom works in a similar fashion. It starts from the smallest beginnings
in the hearts of men and women who are receptive to God's word. And it works unseen
and causes a transformation from within.
The Holy Spirit transforms us
Leaven is another powerful agent of change.
A lump of dough left to itself remains just what it is, a lump of dough. But when
the leaven is added to it a transformation takes place which produces rich and wholesome
bread when heated - the staple of life for humans. The kingdom of God produces a
transformation in those who receive the new life which Jesus Christ offers. When
we yield to Jesus Christ, our lives are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit
who dwells in us. Paul the Apostle says, "we have this treasure in earthen
vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us"
(2 Corinthians 4:7). Do you believe in the transforming power of the Holy Spirit?
Good and evil are sown in our hearts like
tiny seeds which germinate, and in due time yield a harvest of good or bad fruit.
Charles Read said: "Sow an act and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap
a character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny." In the day of judgment
each will reap what he or she has sown in this life. Those who sow good will shine
in the kingdom of their Father. They will radiate with the beauty, joy, and fullness
of God's love. Do you allow the love of Christ to rule in your heart and in your
actions?
Lord Jesus, let your word take root in
my heart and may your all-consuming love transform my life that I may sow what is
good, worthy, and pleasing to you.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers:
Faith as a grain of
mustard, by Jerome (347-420 AD)
"The man who sows in his field is
interpreted by many as the Savior. He sows in the souls of believers. By others
he is interpreted as one who sows in his field - that is to say, in himself and
in his heart. Who is it that sows if not our mind and heart? They take up the grain
of preaching and nurture the plant with the moisture of faith, making it sprout
and shoot up in the field of the heart. The preaching of faith in the gospel appears
to be least among all tasks. Indeed, anyone who preaches the God-man of truth, Christ
who died, and the stumbling block of the cross may not think immediately of mere
faith as the primary doctrine. Put this particular doctrine side by side with the
teachings of the philosophers, their books, their splendid eloquence and fine discourses,
and you will see just how small it is compared with the other seeds of the gospel
plant. When those teachings grow, they have nothing to show that is pungent or vigorous
or vital. Everything turns out weak and withering in a plant and in herbs that quickly
dry up and fall to the ground. But when this tiny gospel teaching that seemed insignificant
at the beginning has been planted either in the soul of the believer or throughout
the world, it does not turn out to be just a plant. It grows into a tree, so that
the birds of the air, which we interpret as the souls of believers or deeds dedicated
to the service of God, come and dwell on its branches." (excerpt from COMMENTARY
ON MATTHEW 2.13.31)
[Jerome (347-420 AD) was an early church
Bible scholar who translated the entire Bible from the original Hebrew and Greek
texts into the common language of his day (Latin)].
“PRAYING WRONG”
“We do not know how to pray as we ought.” —Romans 8:26
Many Christians have the feeling that they’re praying wrong
(Jas 4:3), that they’re not praying as they ought. They think
they’re saying the wrong words or that they need to pray more or say a certain series
of prayers, but they are wrong about praying wrong. They may be praying wrong, but
it’s not because of their words, methods, or even time commitment. When we pray
“with a view to squandering what” we receive on our pleasures (Jas 4:3), we “ask wrongly.” We pray wrong not because of a
faulty memory, halting speech, or confused mind, but because of a selfish heart.
Prayer is not getting God to give us what we want. It is God
getting us to give Him what He wants. The essence of the Christian life and of prayer
is denying ourselves (Lk 9:23). So we can definitely pray wrong, and it may be that
most Christians often pray wrongly.
The solution to this problem is not learning techniques of
prayer, praying prayers out of a book, or praying spontaneously. The way to stop
praying wrong is to repent of selfishness, disobedience, and doing our own thing.
Then even our groans will be powerful prayers pleasing to the Lord (see Rm 8:26).
Prayer: Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart
like Yours so I will “pray right.” “The saints will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let
everyone heed what he hears!” —Mt 13:43. Praise the risen Jesus, only Hope
for the world!
The personal question/action for today: What thoughts cross my mind when I experience evil in
the world around me? Do I question GOD for allowing such evil? How often do I
call upon the Holy Spirit to help me do and say what GOD wants me to do and
say? Do I sense the presence of Holy Spirit with me in the midst of the evil
which surrounds me? What can I do to foster growth and Goodness in the people
with whom I come in contact? How can I be good seed or leaven in the world to
help the fullness of growth which GOD intends?