1st Reading – Wisdom 12:13, 16-19

There is no god besides you who have the care of all,
that you need show you have not unjustly condemned.
For your might is the source of justice;
your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.
For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved;
and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity.
But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency,
and with much lenience you govern us;
for power, whenever you will, attends you.
And you taught your people, by these deeds,
that those who are just must be kind;
and you gave your children good ground for hope
that you would permit repentance for their sins.

The Book of Wisdom was written about a hundred years before Christ, in Greek. Its author, whose name is not known, was a member of the Jewish community at Alexandria, Egypt, where the book is believed to have been composed. Until the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls, the Book of Wisdom was not known to have existed in Hebrew, but its discovery there shows that it was accepted and used by the Jews of Jesus’ time in the area of Palestine.

The Book of Wisdom is an example of wisdom literature, which uses reason to explore the mysteries of faith.

Today’s reading speaks of God’s merciful discipline of sinners. Although this passage is directed to God, it is meant to be a lesson to be learned by the people of Israel.

There is no god besides you who have the care of all, that you need show you have not unjustly condemned.

This is an acknowledgment of the total exclusive providence of God; cares for all.

The God of Israel has neither peer nor rival, and there is no one who can lodge a complaint of injustice against him. This does not make him an unjust tyrant; to the contrary, he has no need to demonstrate his righteousness because his judgments are never unjust

For your might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.

God’s might, tempered by leniency, is the source of divine justice.

By the time the Book of Wisdom was written, Judaism had arrived at the notion of a God who shows his strength more by leniency than by punishment. This is evident in God’s dealings with Israel, but also in his dealing with mankind at large, whose evil actions he punishes gently, to give people a chance to change.

Ironically, it is because God is so powerful that he can decide to be lenient — only a powerful God can be merciful without risking defiance or disorder among his subjects.

For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved;

God’s power is manifested when it is questioned.

and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity.

Temerity is excessive confidence or boldness; audacity. 

But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency, and with much lenience you govern us; for power, whenever you will, attends you.

God judges and governs with might tempered with mercy, and with power tempered with clemency.

And you taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind; and you gave your sons good ground for hope that you would permit repentance for their sins.

God’s way of dealing with his people serves as an example for them to follow. They should model their treatment of others after God’s treatment of them, tempering their power with compassion and balancing their justice with mercy.

This balance between God’s kindness and mercy instills hope in the people for receiving God’s mercy in the future. Likewise, they are called to exercise justice with kindness in order to be truly just.

2nd Reading – Romans 8:26-27

Brothers and sisters:
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.
And the one who searches hearts
knows what is the intention of the Spirit,
because he intercedes for the holy ones
according to God’s will.

In the mere two verses we read today from Romans, Paul gives us a powerful explanation of prayer to God. He acknowledges our human limitations and describes how the Spirit comes to help us overcome them.

Brothers and sisters: The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness;

This weakness is more than physical infirmity, it’s the totality of the human condition. Humans are inherently feeble, with a propensity toward ignorance.

for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groaning.

Even when we don’t know how to pray or express our deepest needs, the Spirit understands and intercedes on our behalf, aligning our prayers to God’s will with expressions that transcend the limitations of human language.

The ability of the Holy Spirit to empathize with human weakness and bridge the gap between human frailty and divine understanding demonstrates a profound connection between the Holy Spirit and believers.

Note how Paul speaks of this in the first person (“we”): he includes himself in this assessment of human weakness.

And the one who searches hearts 

This is an Old Testament phrase for God (1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Kings 8:39; Psalm 7:11; 17:3; 139:1).

God possesses complete knowledge and understanding of the human heart. He sees beyond outward appearances and can discern our true character, judging each of us with righteousness and truth.

knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.

God understands the intentions and desires of the Spirit’s intercession. The Spirit intercedes for us according to God’s purposes and with perfect understanding.

Note that Paul refers to these prayerful weak human beings as holy ones, which is another term for saints. Such a reference itself reveals something about his understanding of holiness; specifically, that weakness is not an obstacle to it.

“It is clear that the prayer of every spirit is known to God, from whom nothing is secret or hidden (see Job 37:16; Acts 15:18; 1 John 3:20). How much more then should [the Father] know what the Holy Spirit, who is the same essence as Himself, is saying?” [The Ambrosiaster (ca. 366-384 AD), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles]

Paul is teaching the Romans that despite the fact that human beings are weak and still suffer, there is reason for great hope. Despite our human limitations, the Spirit takes hold of us and enables us to pray and do God’s will.

God has a purpose, and though we may not understand his purpose, the Spirit of God animates us and empowers us to move toward it. Thanks be to God!

Gospel – Matthew 13:24-43

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying:
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened
to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.
When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Where have the weeds come from?’
He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’
His slaves said to him,
‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them.
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
“First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

He proposed another parable to them.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
that a person took and sowed in a field.
It is the smallest of all the seeds,
yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.
It becomes a large bush,
and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”

He spoke to them another parable.
“The kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour
until the whole batch was leavened.”

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.
He spoke to them only in parables,
to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation
of the world.

Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said,
“Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom.
The weeds are the children of the evil one,
and the enemy who sows them is the devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Just as 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 who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
They will throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

Our reading today is a continuation of last week, when Jesus began teaching in parables.

Today we hear three parables that illustrate aspects of the growth of God’s kingdom: The Parable of the Weeds, The Parable of the Mustard Seed, and The Parable of the Leaven. All three teach that the coming of the kingdom is a growth process that occurs over time.

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying:

Jesus is speaking to a very large and diverse crowd. He is keenly aware of the antagonism that is building against him in the hearts of some of his listeners.

“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.

First up is The Parable of the Weeds. Remember, a parable is a method of teaching that compares the audience with some element of the story. The purpose is to call people’s attention to a blind spot, some fault that they themselves have.

The weed in this parable was probably darnel, a poisonous plant that is virtually indistinguishable from wheat in its early stages of growth. If darnel is ground up with wheat, it contaminates the flour, and consuming bread made from that flour results in severe nausea.

Despite all the dedicated work that went into planting the crop, including the use of good seed, the quality of the yield is disappointing.

The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’

In the ancient Near East, personal vengeance sometimes took the form of sowing darnel among an enemy’s wheat. Sabotaging the crops of another was punishable by Roman law.

Note the dedication of the enemy: he worked through the night while everyone else was sleeping. We must be constantly on guard.

His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. 

The servants offer to immediately purge the weeds from the field, but the owner chooses to respond with wisdom and patience.

This is not the right time to rectify the situation.

Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”‘”

This parable carries several layers of meaning. At its core, it teaches about the coexistence of good and evil in the world.

As Jesus will explain later in the passage, the growing season represents our earthly lives and the harvest represents the judgment at the end of time. The wheat represents the righteous, while the weeds symbolize those who oppose God’s kingdom. The story highlights the reality that in this world, both the righteous and the wicked will exist together until the final judgment.

The parable also emphasizes God’s patience and mercy. The farmer’s decision to allow the wheat and weeds to grow together until the harvest reflects God’s patience, granting time for repentance and transformation. It underscores the belief that God, in his wisdom, will ultimately separate the righteous from the wicked, ensuring justice and judgment in due time.

Furthermore, the parable serves as a caution against hasty judgments and premature actions. It encourages believers to exercise discernment and trust in God’s sovereignty rather than seeking immediate retribution. It reminds us that our role is not to act as judges but to faithfully live out our calling and bear fruit in accordance with God’s will.

A final note: We must also realize that “wheat” and “weeds” grow simultaneously not only within the world at large but within our communities and within our own hearts.

We need not be scandalized or overly discouraged by this. In time, the weeds will be destroyed and the wheat will be gathered into the barns.

Good will win out in the end.

He proposed another parable to them.

The second and third parables within this passage both explore the humble beginnings of the kingdom of heaven, its gradual and inconspicuous growth, and the remarkable abundance it will eventually bring forth.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.

In The Parable of the Mustard Seed, the sower is Jesus Christ and the field is the world. The seed is the kingdom of God on earth, ie. the Church, which from very humble beginnings will spread throughout the world.

It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’”

This is possibly an allusion to Daniel 4:20-21. The phrase “birds of the sky” has traditionally been understood as a reference to the Gentiles who will find a home in the kingdom.

Thanks to God’s promise and through his grace, the Church, which embraces all people of every kind and condition, in every area of the world and in all ages, is forever developing in spite of obstacles.

That being said, the focus of this parable is not on universalism but on the contrast in sizes: With the arrival of Christ, the kingdom of God on earth has arrived. On a global scale, it has started from near invisibility but will quickly grow to its full grandeur with its universal, all-embracing hospitality.

He spoke to them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”

The third parable is The Parable of the Leaven, which employs an everyday experience to demonstrate the transformative power of the kingdom of God.

A tiny amount of yeast causes an entire loaf of bread to rise. Similarly, a small movement can permeate and transform the entire world. God’s plan works almost invisibly to bring about its purposes.

The spiritual truth of this parable applies to both the spread of the global Church and the individual Christian’s evangelization efforts.

“Our calling to be children of God, in the midst of the world, requires us not only to seek our own personal holiness, but also to go out onto all the ways of the earth, to convert them into roadways that will carry souls over all obstacles and lead them to the Lord. As we take part in all temporal activities as ordinary citizens, we are to become leaven acting on the mass” (Saint Josemaría Escrivá, Christ Is Passing By, 120).

Finally, note the gender balance depicted in these last two parables. In Parable of the Mustard Seed, a man is portrayed as the central figure in establishing the kingdom, while in this parable, it is a woman who takes on the principal role. This gender balance further highlights the inclusivity of the call to do God’s work.

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.”

Matthew quotes Psalm 78:2 to convey how the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in Christ’s preaching. Jesus often conveyed deep spiritual truths through parables and other relatable stories, allowing his audience to grasp profound concepts in a more accessible way, thus revealing hidden truths that had been in the plan of God since the beginning of creation.

God’s plans remain hidden from those who are not disposed to accept them (see Matthew 11:25).

Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

Jesus often provided additional instruction on his public teachings to his disciples in private.

Like last week, the explanation that follows is an allegorical interpretation of the parable. There are only three occasions in the gospels where this occurs (a parable is interpreted allegorically); we will consider the third instance next week when we read about the Parable of the Net.

He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as 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 who cause others to sin and all evildoers. 

Jesus’ explanation is straightforward and clear. The “Son of Man” is a title Jesus uses for himself, which refers to the great figure from the Book of Daniel to whom God gives authority over nations (Daniel 7:13) at the end of time.

The lesson is patient tolerance of the presence of the wicked in the community: God and his angels will sort them out in the end.

However, this doesn’t mean we should do nothing about the evil in our midst, because weeds left unchecked can choke out the wheat. The Church needs constant reformation and positive action in its quest for holiness.

They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. 

The contrast between the rewards of righteousness and the consequences of sin is remarkable. In the agricultural practice of the time, weeds were bundled up and burned for fuel, symbolizing the fate of the wicked.

The fate of the righteous is reminiscent of Daniel 12:3, where the wise are promised an apocalyptic prize: When the kingdom of God comes, their radiance will be like that of the sun.

Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

The teaching ends with the same solemn admonishment we heard last week, which invites the listener to think reflectively about the deeper application of what they just heard.

Connections and Themes

The Spirit. We’ve been exploring the concept of discipleship and the importance of being open and receptive to produce righteous fruits in our lives. It may seem unfair that some people are receptive to the message while others are not, and we might even argue that it’s not their fault. However, such thinking would be mistaken.

The indwelling Spirit of God is present in all disciples, not just a select few. Therefore, those who fail to be receptive have chosen not to open themselves to the Spirit’s influence. The Spirit comes to our aid in our weakness, helping us in our struggles with prayer and understanding Jesus’ parables. While the first disciples had Jesus himself to explain the parables, we have the Spirit to enlighten us. The Spirit enables us to interpret Jesus’ teachings and to embrace the challenges they present with receptivity and understanding.

Let them grow together. One teaching of Jesus that often poses difficulties for believers is the inclusion of sinners in the kingdom of God. While they may not express it openly, many believers struggle with the idea of murderers, sexual offenders, dishonest officials, or corrupt religious leaders being part of God’s kingdom. There seems to be a belief, perhaps unspoken, that the kingdom of God is reserved only for the righteous or those whose sins are minor or more relatable somehow.

To some extent, this mindset is understandable. We all have a natural inclination to feel uneasy living in close proximity to those we perceive as sinners. There is a fear that they may harm us in some way or have a negative influence on our lives, especially on the lives of our children. It’s only natural to have some resistance toward such individuals.

However, the parable we encounter today challenges this perspective and reveals God’s different point of view. God understands that if sinners were to be expelled now, some essentially good individuals would be unjustly cast out. The time for separation and judgment will come, but that time is not now. This means that the righteous must not only coexist with sinners, they are called to extend the same care and concern to sinners as they do to others. The presence of sinners does not diminish the quality of the kingdom; instead, it provides an opportunity for disciples to rise to the occasion with generosity and forgiveness.

Divine judgment. There are two contrasting images of judgment presented in our readings today. The one depicted in the gospel is terrifying: the wicked are gathered and burned. However, we must remember that this is a simple parable; the weeds are weeds, with no capacity for transformation or repentance.

The image presented in the first reading offers a different perspective. It portrays God’s justice as merciful, compassionate, and kind. The true power of God is demonstrated not through retribution, but through boundless mercy. In Exodus 34:6-7, God reveals himself as “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in kindness and fidelity,” emphasizing the potential for repentance and change. This image fills us with hope, reminding us that even in the face of judgment, God’s mercy and forgiveness are ever-present.