“Green Acres is the place to be; farm living is the life for me. Land spreading out so far and wide, keep Manhattan just give me the countryside.” This is one of the most recognized TV theme songs from years ago. Oliver and Lisa move to a farm from their very city life and they certainly are ill prepared for life on the farm. Well, I guess my story is quite the same. Some 16 years ago this city boy moved his city family to a small 10 acre farm on the Talisheek Highway. And the 10 acres is all cleared; all grass as far as the eye can see. My first major purchase was a nice big tractor; a tractor I had no idea how to operate. When it arrived I jumped on it still dressed in my banker clothes; I looked just like Oliver from Green Acres. Over time I learned to operate that tractor although I often would kill the engine, or drive into a tree or run over my wife’s favorite plant or once a big piece of concrete. And did I mention; I hate cutting grass! Lately, I have been obsessed with the growth of the weeds. Over the years, the weeds grow side by side among the grass.
As people of faith, are we the wheat or the weeds? Is our neighbor the wheat or the weeds? Do we judge? Do we let God judge?
There is so much to break open in this parable. The longer form of this Gospel also introduces the parable of the mustard seed and then of the leaven. Today, my focus will remain on the wheat and the weeds. Imagine the effort of the “enemy” who sowed the weeds among the wheat. Two-thousand years ago there was no place to buy seeds. To sow these weeds in the man’s field took a lot of time, planning and effort. This “enemy” was willing to go the extra mile to spoil the wheat harvest. Everyone tells the man to pull it up but he cautions them that the wheat will be pulled up as well. Allow the wheat and the weeds to grow together, not for a short period of time, all the way to harvest. The harvesting will be difficult now as the weeds will be separated from the wheat and bundled to be burned. For the good of the wheat, this is the right thing to do.
Jesus uses this parable to teach us that there will always be weeds among the wheat. And the weeds and the wheat will be allowed to coexist, to grow together. It is a reminder that the good and the bad will always live together on this side of Heaven. Our own life choices and the gift of free will play a role in whether we are the wheat or the weeds. Should we judge then who is wheat and who is weeds? This parable tells us no. Both the wheat and weeds are allowed to remain together until the harvest. This teaching clearly tells us that it is God alone is to judge; God alone determines whether we are gathered into the barn; Heaven, or thrown into the fire; Hell. We are to leave this judgment to God and make sure that we are wheat and our roots are strong.
If then we are wheat, then we are called to be good wheat. Since the weeds will not be impeded from growing along with the wheat than grow we must. First, even as wheat, we must acknowledge before God that we are sinners too. As good wheat we must confess our sins, ask for God’s mercy and faithfully perform our penance. This helps our wheat grow strong and produce a fruitful harvest. As Catholics, our goal is to be faithful Catholics; not perfect Catholics; faithful Catholics. Among the tools we should use to fertilize our faith include the Scriptures in our homes. Not the pretty family Bible that makes an attractive addition to our homes collecting dust; a study Bible that we read, pray with and use to inform our faith, to strengthen our roots. And every home should have the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Wheat should know its’ faith. Wheat should know what the Church truly teaches about all things, including those we may tend to disagree with because, well, sometimes it seems easier to be weeds.
And what about our brothers and sisters who we are called to serve? Do we still look upon the unemployed man in line at Ozanam Inn and see weeds? Do we tend to view the families lining up at the Food Bank as weeds? Are the men I visit in prison every week weeds? And maybe another question we could ask: when they all encounter us do they see wheat or weeds?
In the week ahead, can we pray with this 13th chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel and listen for the lessons of these parables? Can we, in the week ahead, commit as Catholic families, to purchasing and reading through the Catechism? And in the week ahead, can we work on being good wheat, by loving God through our service to others?
Green Acres is the place to be; perhaps. But we all know for sure; those heavenly acres, that’s truly the place to be.
No weeds there; just wheat. Be that wheat!
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