16th Sunday of Ordinary Time (A)
The mysterious growth of the Reign
God’s patience
Matthew 13: 24-43
1. Opening prayer
Spirit of truth, sent by Jesus to guide us to the whole truth, enlighten
our minds so that we may understand the Scriptures. You who overshadowed
Mary and made her fruitful ground where the Word of God could germinate,
purify our hearts from all obstacles to the Word. Help us to learn
like her to listen with good and pure hearts to the Word that God speaks
to us in life and in Scripture, so that we may observe the Word and
produce good fruit through our perseverance.
2. Reading
a) Division of the text:
The text is made up of three parables, a break, and the explanation
of the first parable. The three parables of the darnel and the wheat
(13: 24-30), the mustard seed (13: 31-32) and the leaven (13: 33),
have the same purpose. They wish to correct the expectations of Jesus’ contemporaries
who thought that the Reign of God would come with vehemence and immediately
eliminate whatever was contrary to it. Through these parables, Jesus
wishes to explain to his listeners that he did not come to restore
the Reign by force, but to inaugurate a new era gradually, in the day-to-day
history, in a way often unobserved. And yet his work has an inherent
strength, dynamism and a transforming power that gradually changes
history from inside according to God’s plan…if one has
eyes to see!
In 13: 10-17, between the parable of the sower and its explanation, the evangelist
inserts a dialogue between Jesus and his disciples where the Master explains
to them why it is that he speaks to the crowds only in parables. Here too,
between the parables and the explanation, the evangelist inserts a brief comment
on the reason why Jesus speaks in parables (13: 34-35).
Then follows the explanation of the parable of the darnel and the wheat (13:
36-43). What is striking in this explanation is that, while many of the details
of the parable are interpreted, not a single reference is made to the core
of the parable, that is, the dialogue between the owner and his servants concerning
the darnel that grew together with the wheat. Many scholars deduce that the
explanation of the parable is not from Jesus, but from the evangelist who changes
the original sense of the parable. While Jesus meant to correct the messianic
impatience of his contemporaries, Matthew addresses lukewarm Christians and
exhorts them, almost threatens them, with God’s judgement. However, the
parable and the explanation are part of the canonical text and, therefore,
both should be considered because both contain the Word of God addressed to
us today.
b) The text:
 24-30: He put another parable before them, 'The kingdom of
Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among
the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened,
then the darnel appeared as well. The owner's labourers went to him
and said, "Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your
field? If so, where does the darnel come from?" He said to them, "Some
enemy has done this." And the labourers said, "Do you want
us to go and weed it out?" But he said, "No, because when
you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let
them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say
to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to
be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn." '
31-32: He put another parable before them, 'The kingdom of Heaven
is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. It is
the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the biggest
of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air can come and
shelter in its branches.'
33: He told them another parable, 'The kingdom of Heaven is like
the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it
was leavened all through.'
34-35: In all this Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; indeed,
he would never speak to them except in parables. This was to fulfil what
was spoken by the prophet: I will speak to you in parables, unfold what
has been hidden since the foundation of the world.
36-43: Then, leaving the crowds, he went to the house; and his disciples
came to him and said, 'Explain to us the parable about the darnel in the
field.' He said in reply, 'The sower of the good seed is the Son of man.
The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the
darnel, the subjects of the Evil One; the enemy who sowed it, the devil;
the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. Well then,
just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be
at the end of time. The Son of man will send his angels and they will gather
out of his kingdom all causes of falling and all who do evil, and throw
them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding
of teeth. Then the upright will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their
Father. Anyone who has ears should listen!
3. A moment of prayerful silence
so that the Word of God may enter into us and enlighten our life.
4. Some questions
to help us in our personal reflection.
a) What is your reaction towards the evil that you see in the world
and in yourself? Is it the reaction of the servants or that of the
owner?
b) What are the signs of the presence of the Reign that you can see in the
world and in your life?
c) What image of God appears from these three parables? Is this your image
of God?
5. A key to the reading
for those who wish to go deeper into the text.
a) The Reign of God:
In the two compendia that Matthew offers us on the ministry of Jesus,
he presents him preaching the Gospel or the good news of the Reign
and healing (4: 23; 9: 35). The expression "Reign of Heaven" appears
32 times in Matthew. It is the same as the "Reign of God",
found only once in Matthew, whereas it is the more usual expression
found in the rest of the New Testament. As a matter of respect, the
Jews avoid not only the use of the Name of God as revealed to Moses
(see Ex 3: 13-15), but also the word "God" which is substituted
by various expressions such as "Heaven" or "The heavens".
Matthew, the most Jewish of the Gospels, conforms to this practice.
The expression is not found in the Old Testament, where, however, we often
find the idea of the royalty of God over Israel and over the universe and the
verbal equivalent of the New Testament’s "God reigns". In fact,
the Reign of God, as presented also in the New Testament, is above all the
action of God who rules and the new situation as a consequence of his ruling.
God has always been ruler, but because of sin, Israel and the whole of humanity
avoid his royalty and create a situation opposed to his original plan. The
Reign of God will be established when everything will be once more subjected
to his dominion, that is, when humanity will accept his sovereignty and thus
realise his plan.
Jesus proclaimed the coming of this new era (see for example Mt 3: 2). Somehow
the reality of God’s Reign is made present and anticipated in him and
in the community he founded. But the Church is not yet the Reign. The Reign
grows mysteriously and gradually until it reaches its fulfilment at the end
of time.
b) God’s logic:
The reality of the Reign and its growth, as described by Jesus, place
us before the mystery of God whose thoughts are not our thoughts. We
confuse royalty and force, and impositions, and triumphalism. We like
things done on a grand scale. We see success as an undertaking praised
and involving many people. However, these are temptations which seduce
even the community, and instead of serving the Reign, the community
finds itself opposing it. God, on his part, prefers to advance his
plan through small, poor and insignificant things and while we are
always in a hurry to complete our plans, God waits with great patience
and forbearance.
6. Psalm 145
Hymn to the Lord Ruler
I will extol thee, my God and King,
and bless thy name for ever and ever.
Every day I will bless thee,
and praise thy name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall laud thy works to another,
and shall declare thy mighty acts.
On the glorious splendour of thy majesty,
and on thy wondrous works, I will meditate.
Men shall proclaim the might of thy terrible acts,
and I will declare thy greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of thy abundant goodness,
and shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
and his compassion is over all that he has made.
All thy works shall give thanks to thee,
O Lord, and all thy saints shall bless thee!
They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom,
and tell of thy power,
to make known to the sons of men thy mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendour of thy kingdom.
Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and thy dominion endures throughout all generations.
The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds.
The Lord upholds all who are falling,
and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to thee,
and thou givest them their food in due season.
Thou openest thy hand,
thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is just in all his ways,
and kind in all his doings.
The Lord is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
He fulfils the desire of all who fear him,
he also hears their cry, and saves them.
The Lord preserves all who love him;
but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
7. Closing prayer
For thou lovest all things that exist,
and hast loathing for none of the things which thou hast made,
for thou wouldst not have made anything if thou hadst hated it.
How would anything have endured if thou hadst not willed it?
Or how would anything not called forth by thee have been preserved?
Thou sparest all things, for they are thine,
O Lord who lovest the living.
Therefore thou dost correct little by little those who trespass,
and dost remind and warn them of the things wherein they sin,
that they may be freed from wickedness
and put their trust in thee, O Lord.
Thou art righteous and rulest all things righteously,
deeming it alien to thy power to condemn him
who does not deserve to be punished.
For thy strength is the source of righteousness,
and thy sovereignty over all causes thee to spare all.
For thou dost show thy strength
when men doubt the completeness of thy power,
and dost rebuke any insolence among those who know it.
Thou who art sovereign in strength dost judge with mildness,
and with great forbearance thou dost govern us;
for thou hast power to act whenever thou dost choose.
Wisdom 11, 24-12,2. 15-18
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