Paris and the Parable of the Wheat and Weeds

This is the sermon from yesterday's Scawby Civic Service.
(Readings: Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24–30 and 36-43)

With the recent news about the attacks in Paris, the reading from Matthew's gospel seems more relevant than usual. Jesus describes a world where good and bad co-exist, where good people and bad people live and grow together. A world his first hearers would have recognised and one that is still recognisable today. But that is one of the points that Jesus is trying to make: that the world will be mixed until the 'end of the age' that is until he comes again.

But why doesn't God do something about it? That was a question that was asked in Jesus' day and is still asked today. Why don't we do something about it, why don't we take matters into our own hands? is the question the servants in Jesus' story ask; why don't we seek revenge and justice? is rhetoric we hear all over the media. Jesus, however, counsels caution. Don't pull up the weeds he says, “because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.” The problem with us taking revenge is that our judgement is imperfect, and we are likely to do more harm than good. Those who worked on the land in Jesus' time would have understood the dilemma in his story well. The weeds and the wheat were almost indistinguishable until it came to harvest time – trying to sort them out before harvest time risked destroying good crops by mistaking them for bad crops as well as by disturbing their roots.

This year we commemorated the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo. It's very easy to tell who your enemy is when they're wearing a different uniform and speaking French. Nowadays, however, the threat we face from people wishing to destroy our way of life can often come from people who have been brought up amongst us. In seeking to weed out threats from so-called extremists, we risk vilifying innocent people as well as destroying the roots of good community growth. On top of that, legislation to outlaw 'extremism' will have the consequence of stifling debate and free speech and demonising any view that differs from what the current trend is.

So much for our imperfect judgement, but what about God? Surely he could distinguish between wheat and weeds? Well, Jesus assures us that God will act, that justice will be done, that evil will be punished and good will be rewarded – but all in the fullness of time. Jesus encourages us not just to have confidence that God will sort it all out, but that he will do it when the time is right. Just as our judgement about right and wrong is imperfect, so is our judgement about timing – we want it all sorted out now, but as Paul says in his letter to the Romans, although we and the whole of creation is groaning in expectation of when this will happen, we must wait patiently.

As we look at the world around us, at the seemingly never-ending and ever-increasing violence and horror, it is tempting to despair and think that there is no hope. But Jesus told his parable to explain about the kingdom of God. He wants us to understand that even when all around seems wrong and evil seems to be in the ascendant, that the kingdom of heaven is still to be found. That no matter what happens, the kingdom of heaven will be victorious in the end. And that each of us is invited to be part of it, to be those who are 'people of the kingdom', 'children of God' who are led by the Spirit of God. In a world where good and bad co-exist we have a choice – are we going to be weeds or are we going to be wheat?