Before the Harvest

There are few things more satisfying than certainty.

We like believing we know what happened. We like believing we know who is right and who is wrong. We like problems that can be solved and situations that can be fixed. When something appears out of place, our instinct is to remove it. When we think we understand the situation, we are eager to act.

The servants in today’s Gospel lesson felt exactly the same way.

Jesus tells the story of a farmer who sowed good seed in his field. During the night an enemy came and scattered weeds among the wheat. When the plants began to grow, the servants were puzzled. They knew the farmer had planted good seed, so where had the weeds come from?

Then they asked what seems like an entirely reasonable question.

“Do you want us to go and pull them up?” (Mt. 13:28).

It is an understandable question. The servants are not reckless. On the contrary. They are trying to…