Whoever Welcomes a Sinner Welcomes a Fellow Sinner

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, July 19, 2020

Jesus began his public ministry by announcing that the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17) and is crashing upon us through his redemptive preaching, healing, exorcism, signs and wonders. But what is the kingdom of heaven? What does it look like? In today’s Gospel passage (Matt. 13:24-43) Jesus does not present a definition of the kingdom of heaven. What he does instead is to use parables to convey what the kingdom of heaven is like. He likens or compares the kingdom of heaven to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but when everyone was asleep, his enemy came under the cover of darkness and sowed weeds throughout his field and then took off. As the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared and grew as well. The wheat and the weeds were growing together and sharing all the minerals and nutrients that the soil is endowed with. Eventually, the field owner’s servants discovered the presence of the weeds and alerted their master: “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?” The master replied, “An enemy has done this.” The servants zealously asked for permission to immediately uproot the weeds, “Do you want us to go and pull them up? The master relied, “No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them.” The weeds and wheat have grown together and their roots are interlaced and interwoven that any attempt to uproot the weeds would also lead to the destruction of the wheat. So, the master instructs his servants to allow the wheat and weeds grow together until harvest time when the weeds will be collected and burned, and the wheat gathered together and stored in his barn. 

Like most of Jesus’ parables, the parable of the weeds among the wheat has different meanings and applications depending on the context. However, in the context of Jesus’ ministry, the kingdom of heaven is like a field or a farm with wheat and weeds growing together. As Jesus explains to his disciples, the field is the world, good seed are the chidden of the kingdom, the weeds are the children of the evil one, the harvest is the end of the age, the harvesters are angels. The sower of good seed is Jesus; and the sower of bad seeds is the devil himself. Jesus is sowing good seed in the field (the world) through his liberating message, healings and many acts of miracles. The enemy, which is the devil is sowing weeds in the field through cunning seductions, allurements and divisive nature. Jesus wants the good seed and and the bad to grow together to avoid collateral damage. Some Jews wanted Jesus to embark on housecleaning, to sort out the good from the bad. Even John the Baptist expected Jesus to gather the wheat into his barn, and to cast the chaff into the unquenchable fire (Matt. 3:12). But Jesus has not come to draw lines between friends and foe. He has not come to condemn but to save. He welcomes everyone regardless of their condition. He is not interested in where people have been but where they want to be moving forward. He is not interested in drawing lines that alienate and separate sinners, but on reaching out to them and urging them to repent for the kingdom of heaven is here. Separating and isolating the righteous from the unrighteous is something that will happen down the road when the Son of Man will sit on his throne as the Judge of all nations. For now, the presence of weeds should be endured and tolerated. 

So, what lesson do we need to learn from this Gospel passage? First, it teaches us the vital importance of patience and forbearance within the church and in the society. Second, it teaches or reminds us that for now the church should be seen as the assembly of saints and sinners until the final harvest. Third, it challenges us to cohabit with the so called sinners. As a matter of fact, the call to live with sinners is a call to live with everybody because everybody is a sinner. Whoever welcomes a sinner welcomes a fellow sinner for all have sinned. Fourth, anyone who embarks on a separation exercise is making himself or herself the judge. Jesus commands us to refrain from judging others (Matt. 7:1), authentic and critical judgement should be directed to the self (Matt. 7:3-5). The Christian community will and should always be a place for repentant sinners and unrepentant sinners alike. If sinners are cast out from our gathering, how can they get back on track without the example and witnessing of the saints? Come to think of it, casting out sinners from the church will render the church an institution with no human being, which is practically impossible. For now, let’s be patient with each other; endure each other’s wrongdoing and help each other become saints.