RBWords

     There's an old saying in gardening:  "A weed is a plant that is in the wrong place!"  However, in the parable in today's gospel scripture, "weed" seems to mean just what most of us mean: an enemy!  The early Christian community discovered that they had to live in situations where it could be difficult to tell who is genuine or who is counterfeit when it came to matters of faith.  Any effort to "weed out" what might appear to be a "weed" might result in destroying a good plant.  It would only be at harvest time that a clear determination could be made.  

     Every once in a while a community has to suffer through a period when there are zealots around who are just a bit too quick with judgments about what is wheat and what is weed.  When I was a novice director, I prayed daily for wisdom to know which novice "belonged" and which one needed to be in a "different place."  Sometimes the person who "appeared" to be right was exactly that - right in appearance.  It could turn out that the guy who appeared to be struggling was the one who truly belonged.  

     The wisdom of the "Master" in this parable is a good challenge to the audience.  It may be that one can make an early judgment about "weeds" but pulling them up early can cause damage to "wheat."  And who knows, that "weed" might just be a good plant in the wrong place!   AMEN