Breaking the Word

He proposed another parable to them. "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."'" (Mt13:24-30)

 “Do you want us to go and pull them up?” said the slaves. We are truly his disciples like the slaves in the gospel when they asked this question. We regularly ask God this question: why God permits evil? Why evil doers thrive?  Why there is so much of calamity etc? Any why doesn’t God enter in and do something about it? Why doesn’t God stop this evil?

 This parable is only a sort of an answer to the many more questions that are in our hearts. God’s lordship over the world and God’s intervention in the world is not so much as we want or as we expect or as we dream. We want God to conform to our plans and desires. Yes, we want to be gods or god of (also of) God.

 This parable is about waiting. And this is very difficult for all of us. Wait like the farmer who waits with frustration when weeds grow with wheat. This parable speaks of the patience of the farmer and in fact the patience of God. We have to live with the tension that the kingdom of God is arriving (now and not yet). God is not inactive or uncaring.  Jesus was very active, compassionate and battling with evil (this revealed how God would be in such situations). God’s timetable is different. 

   "Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold." (Mt 13:18-23)

Has Jesus taken this explanation from the reactions of the people to his preaching? It could be. Jesus experienced that there were people of low understanding, people of distraction (because of tribulation and persecution) and people of anxiety among his listeners. They were, in a sense, his followers but because of their lack of understanding, distractions and anxieties they were not able to produce the fruits of the kingdom.

 Ministry of the word was very important in the activities of Jesus. He spoke God’s word and that was informing them of the arrival of the kingdom. As prophet Isaiah would say that the word of God would go into the world and produce its effect and it would not come back without doing its activities.

 The words of Jesus did produce its effects. There were hundredfold, sixty and thirtyfold fruit at the end of the ministry. Word of God is not just for reading or hearing. It is for understanding. Care should be taken to understand the word of God. There should be efforts to help the word of God to take roots in the lives by removing the stones and the thistles (distractions and anxieties).