The Reading of the Week: Matthew 13:24-43. Click here for a review of Matthew 13's context.
Last week, as we explored the Parable of the Sower, the first of a series of parables that Jesus uses to explain why his earthly ministry was an apparent failure, we saw Jesus normalizing the reality that people reject the Kingdom (and yet God continuing to share grace anyway).
This week, in the Parable of the Weeds, Jesus eludes to a day that is coming when this will no longer be the case because those who are the hard, rocky, and thorny soil in the Parable of the Sower (or the weeds in the Parable of the Weeds), will be removed from the picture (more on that later this week).
The thing that strikes me in this is God's decision to care for a field that has both weeds and wheat growing in it. While it would be easy to write off the nurturing of the weeds as an unwanted side effect, it seems to me that there's something more to it, after all, in Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus, while instructing his disciples to love their enemies like the Father in Heaven does, says, "For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." In other words, God caring for the weeds isn't an unfortunate side effect, but a conscious decision by the Father to love those who don't love him in return.
The best summary of this reality might come in Martin Luther's explanation to the first article of the Apostles' Creed:
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
What does this mean? I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.
He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.
He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil.
All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.
This is most certainly true.
Translation of the Luther quote is (c)Concordia Publishing House.
Question: How does God's example of intentionally caring for those who reject him impact the way you approach social justice issues?