Sixth Sunday after Pentecost: Sorting the Seeds and the Weeds

Today's Scripture Readings

Isaiah 44:6-8 (NRSV)

Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel,

and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:

I am the first and I am the last;

besides me there is no god.

Who is like me? Let them proclaim it,

let them declare and set it forth before me.

Who has announced from of old the things to come?

Let them tell us what is yet to be.

Do not fear, or be afraid;

have I not told you from of old and declared it?

You are my witnesses!

Is there any god besides me ?

There is no other rock; I know not one.

Psalm 86 (BCP., p.710)


Romans 8:12-25 (NRSV)

Brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ-- if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 (NRSV)

Jesus put before the crowd another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, `Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' He answered, `An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, `Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he replied, `No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!"

Blog Reflection

I am writing this blog reflection after a week of incredible news throughout the world.   The terrible news of the Malaysian flight that was shot down and the AIDS researchers that were killed saddened us all.   The violence in Gaza and the Middle East disturbs us to our bones.  We still have a congress that is pretty much powerless to operate because of billionaire corporate money that keeps the wealthy safe, while the poor, the sick and the weak are kept on the lowest level of our priorities.  

At the same time, we have received some wonderful news this week.   The Bishop's Synod in the Church of England has passed a measure for women Bishops.   As we approach the 40th anniversary of women being ordained in The Episcopal Church, the news of women Bishops adds to the celebration.  

President Obama announced this past week that he would be signing an executive order that would protect LGBT people from federal job discrimination on Monday.   

Judges in the State of Florida and Oklahoma have ruled that constitutional amendments banning the freedom to marry for same-gender couples are unconstitutional.

In the middle of all of these things going on, the voice of the Holy Spirit is calling on Christians to listen with the ears of their hearts, for God's initiative for us to have a relationship with God and one another.   In that relationship, God wants us to see God's genuine love by which no one is rejected or labeled an outcast by our own standards.   The relationship of God with all of us is one that saves us from our false sense of certainty.   To search for union with God as our only source of certainty.

The message for Christians in our Lectionary readings this weekend, is for us to see that Jesus has planted the seed of God's Spirit within all of us.  In obedience to the will of God, the seed grows and the love of God should inspire within us "truly thankful hearts we may show forth" the praise of God.  "Not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving ourselves up to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness of life all our days" (General Thanksgiving, The Book of Common Prayer, p. 125).   When we harbor prejudices towards others because of their race, gender, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, etc. our Spiritual garden of life begins to grow weeds that hide the true beauty of the plant that grows from the seed.

We do not really need to worry about whether we believe "the devil and his angels" planted the weeds or not.  The weeds that shows from the cruel rhetoric we use towards "illegal" immigrants, including the children that are deported because of the "law", comes from an evil source by it's own nature.   That source is political popularity and a sense of belonging to some party just to be one of the crowd.   While the real Gospel seed that was planted by Jesus, becomes bitter and tasteless.  It might as well be burned.

As Christians we have been blessed beyond measure that God chose us to answer the call to receive God's grace through the message of the Cross and the Resurrection.   By our Baptismal Covenant, we have responded to Christ's invitation to come to Him, and honor Him in all persons, striving for peace and justice and respecting the dignity of every human being.   If our answer is, "we will with God's help" but make an exception because of a bias, then we profane the Name of Jesus Christ in our words and actions.  

Our Readings today, call us to be attentive to the Holy Spirit's call on each of our lives as those for whom there is no longer any condemnation. (See Romans 8:1).   Jesus through His life showed us the way to love God, our neighbor and ourselves.   In so doing, the weeds have no where to grow, and the seed remains pure and full of flavor.

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our
necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have
compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those
things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our
blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (Proper 11, Book of Common Prayer, p. 231).

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn
but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the
strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that
all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of
Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and
glory, now and for ever. Amen.  (Prayer for Peace, Book of Common Prayer, p. 815).

Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it
with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt,
purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is
amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in
want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake
of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen.  (Prayer for the Church, Book of Common Prayer, p. 816).