First Reading: Jer 7:1-11; Psalm: 84 R. v. 2; Gospel: Mt 13:24-30

WHEAT OR WEED?

BY FR VALENTINE NNAMDI EGBUONU, MSP

If only we know the evil intentions of the heart of men, perhaps life would be safer and maybe less challenging too. But this is difficult to identify because in most cases, our disguise is often so perfect and too good to be false. An evil man can outwardly put up a fine attitude leaving no traces to unearth his true self. Even as we gather in Church to pray; those who sing well, pray better and with fine sanctimonious gait may be impenitent sinners outside the four walls of the Church. This is not a case of being judgmental, but just a highlight of the reality we face every day.

When we take a look at ‘wheat’ and ‘weed’, they look very alike. It takes a very meticulous attention to differentiate them. But their worth and how they affect each other differs. While wheat takes up nutrients from the soil and is useful for consumption, weed on the contrary is useless and saps nutrients both from the soil and from the wheat too. Weed is often the cause of stunted growth in plants. This illustrates two kinds of people in our world: those who live to be useful to the world through good living, and those who live only to destroy or thwart the growth of love in our world. Where do we belong?

‘Weed’ explains the mission of the Devil in the world. John 10:10 highlights this: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” But Jesus added that he came that we may have life, and have it abundantly.

When we are out to pull down people through aspersion, malice, envy and other stealth damaging actions, we should understand that we are identifying with the Evil One. These actions are evil because they are destructive. Worst still, they are mostly done surreptitiously by perpetrators to conceal their identity from their victims. So we may not even know who to watch out for. The parable of today’s gospel connects to this reality as the sower of the weed came by night so as not to be seen by anyone. Only God knows them. However, let their deeds not destroy us but refine us like gold in a furnace as we persevere in being wheat to our world because just like the weed, they will surely get what they deserve in the fires of hell.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Lord God, save us from the plans of evil and grant us the grace to persist in doing good. Amen.