[ Today's Readings ]
He wants to help us to have a realistic vision for what this entails so he tells us that the weeds and the wheat grow up together until "the end of the age". Those who are trying to bear the fruits of righteousness have to deal with those who are only sequestering and wasting the resources of the world as weeds. These weeds are "all who cause others to sin and all evildoers." The frightening part about this is that we know that we ourselves sometimes fit those descriptions. We do sometimes cause others to sin. We do sometimes commit evil acts ourselves.
We recognize, O LORD, our wickedness,
the guilt of our fathers;
that we have sinned against you.
The tough thing about waiting until the end of time for the separation of the weeds and the wheat is the we must live with the abuses of the weeds. The great part about it is that when we ourselves seem to be weeds, choking other plants and not bearing fruit ourselves, there is still time to be transformed.
Maybe the problem is that we are starved for resources. We long for the water of life and try to squeeze it from idols that cannot provide it for us. Only the LORD can give us the water for which we thirst. Only with this water can we bear the fruits of repentance and righteousness.
Among the nations’ idols is there any that gives rain?
Or can the mere heavens send showers?
Is it not you alone, O LORD,
our God, to whom we look?
You alone have done all these things.
We don't get to ignore the problem of the weeds.
Let my eyes stream with tears
day and night, without rest,
Over the great destruction which overwhelms
the virgin daughter of my people,
over her incurable wound.
The patience of the LORD with the weeds is not ordered toward apathy but rather toward change and repentance. We cannot achieve this on our own, so let us turn to the LORD for help.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name’s sake.
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