16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

July 19, 2020

Readings:

First Reading: Wisdom 12: 13, 16-19

Psalm 86 “Lord, you are good and forgiving.”

Second Reading: Romans 8: 26-27

Gospel reading according to Matthew 13: 24-43

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Homily:

Today′s gospel is a continuation of last week gospel, July 12, On the Parable of the Good Seed.  In today’s gospel, Jesus added three more parables, the Parable of the Weeds, the Parable of the Mustard Seed, and the Parable of Yeast, as he compared them to the Kingdom of heaven.  Why Jesus used parables to the crowds?  Did he not want to explain his teaching plainly and understandable to all?   Did he want to mislead his hearers and put into confusion?  Is it Jesus′ way in teaching the crowds? etc.

“Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds saying: ‵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 our 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 whet into my barn′.” (Matthew 13: 24-30).

“He proposed another parable to them.  ‵The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field.  It is the smallest of all seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.  It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches′.” (Matthew 13: 31-32).

“He spoke to them another parable.  ‵The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened′.” (Matthew 13: 33).

“All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.  He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: ‵I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world′.” (Matthew 13: 34-35).

“Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house.  His disciples approached him and said: ‵Explain to us the parable of weed in the field.′ “He said in reply: ‵He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.  The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil.  The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.  Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father.  Whoever has ears ought to hear′.” (Matthew 13: 36-43).

The Evangelist Matthew gave us his explanation why Jesus proposed and spoke in parables.  We find it in Matthew 13: 34-35, “All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.  He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: ‵I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world′.”

But what is the meaning of parable?

In today’s gospel, Jesus himself explained the Parable of the Weeds to his chosen ones, his disciples (or apostles). In that case, why Jesus revealed to his disciples the meaning of the parables?  The answer we can find in the gospel on the 14^th Sunday in OT (A) (July 4), that is, “. . . for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will . . . and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” (Matthew 11: 25-27).  His explanation in the Parable of the Weeds we found in Matthew 13: 36-43.  In the last verse of this gospel, Jesus repeated to his disciples what he said in the crowds in last week’s gospel (July 12, 15^th Sunday in OT (A)), that is, “Whoever has ears ought to hear′” (cf. Matthew 13: 9 and Mathew 13: 43).  This is his challenge to us his followers.  Do we listen/hear attentively to the words of Jesus in the gospel?  How often do we read, study, reflect and meditate, and put into action the words of Jesus in our day-to-day living? How can we share the words of Jesus to our neighbors diligently?  Does the words of Jesus change our lives as good Catholic Christians?