The Seeds We Plant ***

S. Matthew 13: 24 – 46

O. The seed and weed parable. Jesus talks of the Good Word being that of a mustard seed.

A. Jesus talks about the good seed being planted, then someone following behind with the seeds of weeds. Both seeds grow, creating a dilemma. If the weeds are pulled, so are the roots of the good seed.  Now, we must wait for the harvest to separate the good harvest from the weeds.

There are two ways to look at this story. One is that we must wait for the harvest in order to separate the fruit from the weeds. This seems to ignore our role in what is planted in the field that is our life.

We have a large role to play in what we allow to be planted in our own life. We do this through mindfulness and awareness of our field by taking care of it, by taking care of ourselves and our environment.

We cannot simply allow anything or anyone to be in our life. A weed can take over our life, and before we realize the threat, the roots have grown even deeper. And, some weeds have pretty flowers that look beautiful, but can choke the life out of a garden. The specific concern with seeds is that they are planted well before they take root and sprout. We need to take care of what we allow into our life.

“Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world . . . And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The end of the world here could signify the end of our life, the end of our world. If we don’t have a relationship with God and the Universe, we are left behind to suffer and experience pain, the hallmarks of human existence on Earth.

P. May I tend to my life as I would tend to a garden, taking care of what is planted and sown.