20 July 2014 - community garden

20 July 2014 - community garden

For your might is the source of justice;
your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all.

This is easy to forget when the enemy sows weeds in the master's field.

For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved;
and in those who know you, you rebuke temerity.

How does he do this, when his enemy sows weeds in his field?

But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency,
and with much lenience you govern us;
for power, whenever you will, attends you.
And you taught your people, by these deeds,
that those who are just must be kind;

Rather the an abrupt and violent justice that ends in the death of the sinner God displays mercy and patience. He does not delight in the death of the sinner. The good and the bad are always intermixed down here.  Ripping up the bad would often take away the good along with it, not least because the bad may one day become the good.  God loves us while we are yet sinners (cf. Rom. 5:8).  A lesser gardener would destroy us by pulling the weeds from us then.  He gives us the nutritious soil, fertilizer, sun, and water that we need to grow in spite of the weeds, and to ultimately overwhelm them.  Even now our hearts have weeds and wheat in them.  He does not destroy us to get the weeds out.

He is patient.  He knows that the seed starts small but that eventually it becomes the largest of all plants, like the mustard seed.  It not only outlasts the weeds but it grows into something able to exist not only for itself but for "the birds of the sky" who "come and dwell in its branches."  In spite of the weeds, enough wheat can grow to fill the master's barn.

One day the weeds will be tossed in a fire furnace.  Let us pray for a harvest with few weeds and much wheat.  Our prayers are the yeast that helps this to happen.  They seem trivial and the good seeds seem small and yet their effect is of immeasurable importance.  Without leaven the wheat flour into which we are made is unable to rise.  It is unable to fulfill its purpose as bread for the world.  Fortunately, it only takes a little leaven to leaven the whole batch.  The effect of our prayers is completely disproportionate to our efforts.  We don't even have to be good at it.

The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. 
And the one who searches hearts
knows what is the intention of the Spirit,
because he intercedes for the holy ones
according to God’s will.

We serve a God who is good and forgiving.  He wants all nations to come to him and to glorify him.  And he wants us to be involved by our prayers. Even the soil in which weeds seem to dominate may one day, because of the mercy and graciousness of God, bear much fruit.  

You, O LORD, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in kindness and fidelity.
Turn toward me, and have pity on me;
give your strength to your servant.