Reflection for Saturday July 26 Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Matthew 13:24-30

Gospel: Matthew 13:24-30

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.  

The slaves of the householder came to him and said, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from? He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 

He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.”

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Reflection:

The story is told about a married man and woman who chose to engage in an adulterous relationship. It’s a no-brainer that the will of God for both of them is not to enter into such a sinful relationship. Yet, they disregarded God’s will to satisfy their lustful, shameless, wicked, and bestial desires.

Perhaps we wonder: Why are there people who choose to go against the will of God? Instead of living a life attuned to God’s desires, they live according to their own desires, even if those desires are sinful. In pursuing what they want, they immerse themselves in sin. Thus, they become the sales representatives and walking advertisements of the devil in this world.

But why does God allow sin? Why does He allow it to exist and, in the process, tempt or even destroy us, when He can easily eliminate it from our environment? Lest we forget, our God is not a dictatorial God; He is a God of love. And part of that love is giving us the free will to choose for ourselves what we want to do in this world.

God has a purpose for allowing sin to exist: for us to avoid, confront, and overcome it through His grace. We must remember that, by virtue of our baptism, we became Jesus’ extension in this world. Hence, Jesus expects us not only to avoid and confront sin but also to neutralize it immediately the moment it rears its devious head.

What if they would not, or we would not, stop sinning? We must prepare for its many consequences, including death. Saint Paul, in his Letter to the Romans, reminds us: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Jesus alludes to this severe punishment in the Gospel, saying, “Collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning” (Matthew 13:30).

Yet, why go to the extent of experiencing the painful wages of sin when, by God’s grace, we can confront and eliminate it immediately? Why allow ourselves to be enslaved by sin when Jesus, through His sacrifice on the cross, has already won for us the victory over sin and death?

God longs for us to choose Him daily, to turn away from the enticements of the world, and to walk in the light of His truth and mercy. The moment we turn to Him in humility and repentance, He is there to embrace us, cleanse us, and empower us to live in the freedom of His love. 

Let us pray for the grace to reject sin courageously and to choose God’s will over our own sinful desires. – Marino J. Dasmarinas