Gathering Community

THIS WEEK’S GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13: 24-30, 36-43 (MESSAGE)

He told another story. "God's kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles showed up, too. The farmhands came to the farmer and said, 'Master, that was clean seed you planted, wasn't it? Where did these thistles come from?' He answered, 'Some enemy did this.' The farmhands asked, 'Should we weed out the thistles?' He said, 'No, if you weed the thistles, you'll pull up the wheat, too. Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I'll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn.'

Jesus dismissed the congregation and went into the house. His disciples came in and said, "Explain to us that story of the thistles in the field." So he explained. "The farmer who sows the pure seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the pure seeds are subjects of the kingdom, the thistles are subjects of the Devil, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, the curtain of history. The harvest hands are angels. The picture of thistles pulled up and burned is a scene from the final act. The Son of Man will send his angels, weed out the thistles from his kingdom, pitch them in the trash, and be done with them. They are going to complain to high heaven, but nobody is going to listen. At the same time, ripe, holy lives will mature and adorn the kingdom of their Father. Are you listening to this? Really listening?”

What a familiar impulse the farmhands have! We all want to pick and pluck, clean out the bad so the good has time to grow. We think we know what is good and what isn’t. We think we can identify the wheat from the weeds. We think we have a clear view of who is in and who is out of our groups, our communities, our clubs, our churches, even who is in and out of God’s love. We think we are given permission to apply this judgment to all things.

Yet, this is not our job. As people who are loved by God, we are challenged by this parable to let both the wheat and the weeds grow, to care for them equally and not to judge them. In other words, to let God be God and to remember that we are not. This summer as things lighten up, let’s make room for everyone in our lives and communities. Let’s help everyone feel welcome and included no matter what.

Join us this Sunday, July 17 for fellowship on the front porch at 9:00am and worship at 9:30am when we will talk about Gathering Community. Dress comfortably, bring a friend and discover a lighter load and the free life Jesus offers. See you in church.