Journeying to Grace

Just when we are being encouraged to cultivate rich soil of spirit in order to produce good fruit to share (Matt 13:18-23), now we get a little reality check. Weeds. ‘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.’ (Matt 13:25-26) Though we have good intentions and do our best to nourish and tend to the soil of our hearts, our good growth can become entangled by the weeds of trial, negative influence, and spiritual distractions. ‘Where have the weeds come from?….An enemy has done this.’ (Matt 13:27-28) As this parable shows, the role of the weeds we encounter is clear – to interfere with our goodness of heart and turn our gaze away from the Lord and His abundant harvest.

As we know, weeds are patient and resistant. They are strong, appear unexpectedly, and can be difficult to remove. The weeds of the enemy live alongside us, sometimes disguised as something attractive to get our attention and even gain our trust. If we don’t take the spiritual opportunity to acknowledge them and make the prayerful effort to address them – and deny them – they will continue to develop, harming the fruits we have worked so faithfully to produce. Even in their smaller forms such as gossip, lying, and disrespect, the weeds around us never rest. They find victory when we experience a lack of trust, surrender to our anxiety, or believe in our weakness instead of the Lord’s strength. What is false, what is corrupt, and what is tempting will continue trying to damage and stifle the wheat we are meant to be.

But we are of the Lord. He has sown us in love and mercy and called us to be His own. We rejoice in the cultivating work of His field where, led by His grace and healed by His forgiveness, we help one another untangle the weeds that seek to diminish our spirit and take away what nurtures us.  Let us pray in thanksgiving that we, filled by the hope of His harvest and with hearts nourished by rich soil of spirit, are strong, resilient, and beloved wheat.