And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’” vs. 27
Matthew 13:24-30
Most of us live pretty sheltered lives. We have our secure neighborhoods, filled with people who are pretty much like ourselves. We have faith communities for worship and fellowship, again the people are almost identical to ourselves. But occasionally we have the opportunity to “mix with the unwashed masses” and find ourselves engaging with people who don’t act like us and who most certainly don’t operate by our cultural standards. As we listen to their profanities and observe their careless behaviors, we wonder “Where in the world did all these folks come from?” And all of a sudden, we who proclaim inclusive values find ourselves wanting to separate from them, or even get rid of them entirely. Like the slaves in Jesus’ parable, we want to pull up the weeds! Jesus’ point is instructive. We aren’t called to judge or get rid of anyone! We aren’t even called to live in walled neighborhoods or worship in homogenous communities. In fact, it’s likely he would encourage us to get acquainted with those we judge so harshly. These are our brothers and sisters, and all of us have been created in God’s image. Not that it’s comfortable to hang out with such persons, but could we ever find a finer opportunity to practice unconditional loving? And we might even make new friends!
Thought for the Day: How do I feel when I’m out of my comfort zone?
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