(Year A: The Sixth Sunday after
Trinity, 19th July, 2020)
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
READINGS (COI & paired as between the Gospel and the Old
Testament readings)
(See also Mark 4:30-32
and Luke 13:18-32).
We take up the story of
seeding – again – following last Sunday’s reading from the opening verses of
chapter 13 of the gospel of Matthew. Having heard (and re-heard) the story of
seeding on four different soils (Some gardening tips) we now hear three
more stories: the weeds among the wheat, the mustard seed and the leavening of
yeast. We may note the development from seed to wheat to preparation of
bread. The series of stories leads – typically and somewhat uniquely for
Matthew – to an extended explanation by Jesus of its inner meaning and
application.
The art of story-telling (seanchaíocht)
The role of
story-telling, parable and song throughout the sacred scriptures is vital. The
Psalmist declares in Psalm 77:1-2:
Give heed, my people, to my teaching; turn your ear to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable and reveal hidden lessons of the past.
In this parable,
Matthew divide the audience into the ‘crowds’ and the ‘disciples’. For the
former audience story-telling grounded in real life was the main approach while
for the latter audience a more theological explanation is on offer to those
ready to listen and understand (the disciples). Could Matthew, here, be
reflecting the conversations and concerns among the early Christian communities
in which Matthew and his literary sources were developing? Making sense of
stories was important and someone needed to spell it out. Yet, one of the great
advantages of parables is that they can admit of more than one explanation or
analogy. The early ‘Christian Fathers’ (the ‘Mothers’ hardly got a look in on
official story-telling) were most creative and inventive in building the
stories into connecting narratives relating the ordinary to the big themes of
death, resurrection, church, end-time and so on.
A good
story-teller needs: (i) a competent story-teller (the seanchaí in
ancient Irish custom), (ii) a receptive audience that is eager to listen and
relate with the story and its teller and, (iii) a connecting story that echoes
the concerns, hopes, experiences, insights and struggles of the audience.
(The seanchaí might be seen as an ancient Celtic psalmist
or file [poet] telling the story of her people in riddle and
drama as well as personal anguish and hope).
Four horsemen lurking
For us listening
again to the story of seeding, growing and harvesting the challenge is to
connect our struggles to the story. Indeed, if the story does not in some way
connect to our experience, memory, understanding and will then it remains for
us something like a weed among precious plants. Rather than dividing ourselves
into parties of good plants and bad weeds we might think again about how these
stories invite us to look within and find a mix of things there. What are those
feelings and thoughts of which we are scarcely aware of or which we would never
readily share with another human being?
For each one it
might be different in detail but remarkably similar in the general pattern. If
we stop, listen and look we may discern the choking weeds of guilt, sadness,
anger and anxiety. If we are honest, we will find these ‘four horsemen of
death’ (cf. Revelation
6) within
ourselves. Translated to particular relationships we meet the four horsemen of
criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling. These weeds choke even the
best of people and kill the life of trust, respect and faithfulness. Yet, best
efforts notwithstanding, these ‘horsemen’ can kill many a relationship at home,
at work or in the community (yes and also churches!).
The wisdom of love
The idea of
separating wheat from weeds is intuitively obvious. The wisdom of waiting
‘until harvest time’ before sorting out one from the other also makes sense.
The parable is explained in terms of separating the good from the evil.
In our daily
living we encounter good and bad within ourselves and within others. Sometimes
it is hard to tell one from the other. Moreover, it is too easy to rush to
judgment especially when it concerns the behaviour or supposed intentions of
others. Sometimes it is best to wait for the right occasion to address the
‘unwanted weeds’ bearing in mind, also, that we can get it wrong because
‘weeds’ have been described as ‘unloved flowers’. Stressing the positive in
ourselves and others may be the first step to tackling what is not positive.
However, we also
need to face up to the very reality of evil when it involves exploitation,
oppression, lies, violence and hatred. Too often institutions, leaders in
church, state and civil society avoided confronting evil by turning a blind eye
or claiming defence of the good name of the entity as whole. In some cases
leaders, officials and others were complicit in the very evil itself directly
or indirectly through omission of steps to protect those whom they should have
protected.
In any situation
of conflict, challenge and moral contestation those involved need to show tact,
patience and courage in doing what needs to be done. Leaving matters to others
is not a right option. Neither is a one-sided blinkered approach that supposes
we know who is in the right and who is in the wrong. Typically it is not black
and white even though a misuse of the parable of the wheat and the weeds from
this Gospel passage sees ‘them’ (all in the wrong and just plain evil)
and ‘us’ (all in the right and always good).
Spotting and
tending the weeds in our own hearts and souls is a good starting place. But, it
does not stop there.
Is the best and
only response that of ‘direct attack’? We need to be very careful in discussing
general principles wrapped up in parables and metaphors. Context and big picture
matter. Suffice it to say that ‘direct attack’ might actually make the
situation worse. There is a time and a place for ‘direct attack’ on the ‘weeds’
(and not, it must be emphasised, on persons no matter who they are). As a
general principle, we do well to cultivate the positive seeds of gentleness,
compassion, listening and affirmation. Randomly scattered here and
scattered there, carefully tended and given sustained effort we might see
miracles in ordinary everyday living. Then again we might see nothing but the
seeds sprout at another time and in ways we never imagined such as in the
mustard tree where others rest.
Smiling at the weeds?
We might,
circumstances depending, even go further and ‘smile’ at those weeds but not
yield to them. Now, one is not suggesting condoning bad behaviour or
destructive thoughts in ourselves and others. But, there are times when the
best policy is to smile at a negative but not dwell with it or surf it or give
it authority or status. This is easier said than done. Sowing and cultivating
‘positives’ is, perhaps, the best defence and best way forward. The weeds
wither away (but rarely die altogether and look for opportunities to grow and
latch on again like a coronavirus) and the positives take over in our hearts
and minds. And this positive growth cannot avoid having some spill-over and
influence on others.
In this time of
pandemic we might learn a thing or too from the parables of Jesus – it is a
combination of prudent preventive activity and growth in the right antibodies
that will protect us and those we love if and when a second wave arrives on our
doorsteps.
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