In today’s Gospel Jesus explains to his disciples the meaning of the parable of the weeds and the wheat that he previously told (Matthew 13:24-29). In the parable the Master of the household ordered his servants to allow the weeds and the wheat to grow together until the harvesttime. In today’s passage Jesus explains that “the harvest is the end of the age.” The end of the age is the time of judgement when the Son of Man will send out his angels to separate the weeds from the wheat. Until then the weeds and the wheat, the good and the evil, will grow together. Later in this chapter Jesus will tell a similar parable with the same interpretation:
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” (13:47-50).
The key here is that this “separation” or judgment does not occur until the end of the age. Jesus gives one more similar parable later in the Gospel.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” (25:31-46)
This parable again speaks of “separation” or judgment. The key for this separation or judgment at the end of the age is social justice: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 13:40, 45). While prayer where we express our love of God is a vital part of our life, it must always be joined with love of the least by feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked.
Jesus teaches that a “separation” or judgement will take place at the end of time and the judge will be Jesus as the Son of Man not you or me. In the meantime, weeds and wheat are to grow together without separation. So, Jesus commands us his disciples:
“Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:1-3).
Image: “Weeds In Wheat” by DS Williams is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.