GOSPEL POWER | JULY 27, 2021 | TUESDAY | 17th Week in Ordinary Time 

Gospel: Mt 13: 36 – 43

Jesus 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!”

Reflection

In explaining the parable of the weeds in the field, Jesus  continues to speak in images, but shifts from parabolic  imagery to apocalyptic imagery. “Apocalyptic,” during his  time, was a common way of speaking about the conclusion of history,  using symbolic language that was not interpreted as a literal portrayal  of events to come. By speaking of the mystery of evil through images  and symbolic language, Jesus protects the limited and fragile human  mind from what it is not ready to process. For if our limited dayto-day exposure to evil can leave us with tremendous negative  impressions, then how can we endure a full revelation of it? But  Jesus’ explanation gives us enough enlightenment to help us accept  patiently the mysterious co-existence of evil in the present time and  to confidently hope for the promised deliverance from it in God’s  appointed time.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, keep us patient and humble when we desire to understand  things too overwhelming for us. May we trust your wisdom in keeping these  things veiled. Amen.