Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk 

16^th Sunday of the Year – July 23, 2017

 Readings: Wisdom 12:-13,16-19; Responsorial 

Psalm Ps 85:5-6,9-10,15-16; Rom 8:26-27 & Gospel Matthew 13:24-43.

Theme: The Scandal of God’s Patience!

Introduction

Friends in Christ, the Christian religion is replete with the scandal of God’s patience with. While some Christians are unsympathetic to sinners, others are. We shall reflect on our readings in the light of the parable of the Wheat and Weeds otherwise known as the parable of the Darnel in the Field. While some scripture scholars hold that the setting of the parable is the world, others believe that it is the Church. However, our reflection may overlap while seeking for a middle ground. To achieve that, it is important for us to understand what Jesus meant by the parable. We shall now closely review Jesus’ interpretation of the parable of the Wheat and Weeds.

Jesus’ Explanation of the Parable the Darnel in the Field

Jesus gave a seven-point explanation of the Parable of the Wheat and Weeds in the light of God’s patience with sinners:

1. The Sower of the Seed: The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man.

2. The Field: The field is the world.

3. The Good Seed/Wheat: The subjects of the Kingdom.

4. The Darnel/Weeds: The darnel stands for subjects of the evil one.

5. The Sower of the Weeds: The sower of the weeds is the evil one.

6. The Harvest: The harvest is at the end of time.

7. The Reapers: The reapers are the angles. 

Theological Explication & Pastoral Implications of the Parable

On many occasions, Christians have been divided concerning God’s benevolence towards sinners. On the one hand, the unsympathetic school of thought comprises of Christians who feel that sinners should not be given a second chance or forgiven. In fact, they are often impatient with people they consider as sinners and are angry with God for not punishing them with fire and brimstone. They behave like the Prophet Jonah who was angry with God for not punishing the people of Nineveh and fled to erase the possibility of the people repenting as a result of his preaching to them (Jonah 4:1-2). On the other hand, the sympathetic school of thought is made of up Christians who are often lenient towards sinners and plead for divine mercy upon them.

Dearly beloved, our liturgy calls our attention to divine retribution. As it were, divine retribution is the supernatural punishment of a person or persons by God as a consequence of their sins. Few examples of retributive justice include:

1. The great flood that destroyed humanity and spared the family of Noah (Gen. 6:9-8:22).

2.  The dispersion of the builders of the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9).

3. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18:20-21).  

Too often, Christians who belong to the unsympathetic school of thought cite the aforementioned passages as basis for their impatience with God concerning the destruction of sinners. They cannot understand for instance why God would forgive homosexuals and lesbians, armed robbers and commercial kidnappers, corrupt politicians and ritualists to mention just a few.

Conversely, today’s liturgy teaches us that divine retribution is delayed or rather treasured up until harvest time (the end of the world) as the gospel indicates (Matthew 13:24-43). This reveals something of the nature of God – namely, that our God is a God of the second chance. He is not a God of Now, Now who punishes the offender instantly as in the days of old as some religions of the world teach. Few examples would suffice:

1. When Prophet Elijah confronted King Ahab with the murder of Naboth, the King tore his garments, put on sackcloth, fasted  and slept in ashes and God suspended the disaster he had threatened upon him (1 Kgs. 21:1-21,27-29).