Wheat and weeds, good and evil

[Homily for the 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time, year A]

“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.”’” (from the Gospel of Matthew chapter 13)

Today’s parable addresses the greatest stumbling block for many when discussing or considering the existence of God: the presence of evil in the world.

Many ask themselves certain questions and allow these questions to keep them away from God. For example: Why is there evil? If God is all powerful, why do bad things happen? If God created the world good, why is there so much suffering? How can a good and loving God allow children to starve and the innocent to die? With these questions we indirectly accuse and blame God for the evil of the world.

This parable of the wheat and the weeds gives us an easy image to grasp. God has planted only good seed in the world. The devil has planted weeds. God allows all to grow together and patiently waits till harvest time to separate the wheat from the weeds.

God does not plant evil, the source of evil is the devil. God is not and cannot be the source of evil, yet He allows the weeds to grow throughout the world. Wheat and weeds, good and evil, exist side by side and God allows this to be so.

Why doesn’t God just get out some weed killer and zap the weeds? Why doesn’t He zap all evil people, all evil deeds and thoughts and all evil tragedies into non-existence? This is a mystery. Occasionally God does zap evil in the world, such us the time he zapped a certain Saul who was killing Christians and converted him into the great Saint Paul, the greatest evangelizer of the early Church.

Here are some points to consider based on my personal meditation on the problem of evil:

1. If God pulls the weeds as soon as they appear, He eliminates any possibility for the weed to change. As human beings, we have the great ability to repent, to mend our ways, to change. If God zaps us after making a mistake, especially a big mistake, our opportunity for repentance would disappear. God mercifully and patiently waits for all to repent. In the same manner we should imitate his patience and not lose hope that the most hardened sinners can repent, including those family members who are distant from God or whose hearts are hardened. God does not give up on them, so neither should we.

2. The presence of evil in the world seems to bring about certain virtues and qualities that would not exist otherwise. For example, in a world where nobody sins, mercy would be non-existent, and mercy is a beautiful thing. If sin did not exist, forgiveness would not exist either, and forgiveness is a beautiful thing. If suffering did not exist, compassion, sympathy and almsgiving would not exist, and all of these are beautiful things.

The presence of evil gives rise to a multitude of qualities and virtues that would not exist otherwise. Meditating on this reminds us that good things can certainly come from evil; that all things work for good for those who love God and remain faithful despite adversity. When facing adversity, oftentimes we blame God and distance ourselves from Him, when in fact, we should grow closer to Him and trust that he will give us the strength and grace we need.

God will always grant us enough grace to overcome the presence of evil and to remain faithful to him. This happens especially through our prayer and through the sacraments. One unique instrument of grace is the Brown Scapular from the devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel whose feast day was yesterday, July 16^th.

The scapular is a miniature version of the habit worn by Carmelites which covers the front and back of your body. The design symbolizes protection. It reminds us we are protected from evil by Christ and his mother Mary. For those who wear it, it is a sign of belonging to Mary and a pledge of her motherly protection in this life and the next.

The scapular is not a good luck charm that automatically gets you into heaven. It’s a sacramental. The scapular reminds us of our Lady’s prayers and protection from evil and her promise that she will be with us at the moment of the harvest, so that we may be counted among the wheat. This devotion helps us as we journey through earth where wheat and weeds are mixed and helps us be better prepared for the harvest.

Those who picked up a scapular on the way into Church, I ask you to put it on and I will say the prayers for the investiture of the scapular.

***Please no anonymous comments. Thanks!***