July 28
Explanation of The Parables
Gospel: Matthew 13:36-43
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Today's Gospel: Matthew
13:36-43 (Explanation of The Parable)
"Then he
left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying,
'Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.' He answered, 'He who
sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world, and the good seed
means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the
enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the
reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so
will it be at the close of the age. The Son of man will send his angels, and
they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers and
throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He
who has ears, let him hear.'"
Reflection:
I love it when
Jesus explains a parable in plain terms, because now there's no guessing left
to do. He is the one who sows the good seed. The field is this entire world.
The good seed are the sons of the kingdom, the weeds are the sons of the evil
one, and the enemy who scattered them is the devil himself. The harvest is the
close of the age, and His angels will gather every evildoer and throw them into
the fire, while the righteous shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom.
That patience is exactly what we need, because people love to ask why Catholics
don't fight back harder when we're mocked and attacked, as if turning the other
cheek were weakness. We are not wimps. We are like a kid on the playground
being shoved around, except we know our Father and all His angels are already
on their way, and His word is the judgment that will settle everything once and
for all. Meet cruelty with kindness and love, the way Jesus did in His Passion, and let the fire be for those who never repent, because God's wrath is real and
sufficient, even as we pray every hardened heart turns back to Him instead.
Let's be honest
about what Jesus is actually warning us of here. The enemy has scattered seeds
of hatred, anger, violence, lust, pride, and selfishness across this entire
world, hoping that harvest will tangle us up in his mess and pull us away from
love, from life, and from God Himself. In the end, the evildoers of this world
want nothing more than for us to become just like them, bitter and separated
from God, and that bitterness feeds on our peace, because nothing enrages the
soldiers of satan more than a heart that refuses to be shaken. I have seen this
play out with my own eyes and heard it in more conversations than I can count,
and here is the strange part: the angriest people cannot stand being met
without a fight. Don't argue back. Let them see that you already know how this
story ends and you already know who wins, and then, if they'll let you get a
word in, tell them plainly that you forgive them. That takes real courage, and
I mean real courage, because nothing disarms an angry heart faster than a
sincere smile and forgiveness that doesn't even flinch. We are not pretending
to care. We care deeply. We simply refuse to answer hatred with more of the
same, because we trust Jesus even while we're being slandered and mistreated,
and that is exactly the moment to pray, "Jesus, I trust in You."
Understand what
has been happening for over two thousand years now: Jesus keeps planting seeds
of hope, love, and charity all over this earth, while satan works to do the
exact opposite, seed for seed. My parents used to remind me of an old saying
whenever I got worked up as a kid: that what goes around eventually comes
around, and they'd tell me to pray instead that the person who wronged me would
find kindness in their own heart. I never needed that explained twice, because
it simply means that whatever evil someone hands out will eventually find its
way back to them. There's something deeply biblical in that, because none of us
are innocent here. We may not be evildoers murdering the innocent or deceiving
the masses. However, we are still sinners in need of grace, every one of us, and
that is exactly why Jesus warned us so clearly: "Do not judge, or you too
will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and
with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Matthew 7:1-2).
Jesus meant every word of that. Our enemies judge us by our faith, our
devotion, and how we respond or refuse to respond to their attacks, and we
cannot afford to become like them, because God's judgment is already waiting
for anyone who chooses that path.
So let our love
for Jesus be the only thing that rules our hearts and our lives. Don't let
anger or hatred take root in you or shape how you answer evil, and hold onto
this truth: the ones who believe the world revolves around them will be last,
while the last will be first. Scripture makes this plain: "And everyone
who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or
fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit
eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will
be first" (Matthew 19:29-30). Put Jesus above every person you know and
everything you own, without exception, and whenever you feel that old anger
rising in you, say it out loud until you believe it: "Jesus, I trust in
You!"
So, when the
world hands you cruelty today, will you answer with silence and love, or will
you let it plant something in you that doesn't belong there?
Rosary Man Jim 🌹
Freely given. Freely shared.
