As Jesus continues teaching in parables, he tells about weeds sown among wheat. Retired United Methodist Pastor Steve Garnaas-Holmes publishes daily reflections on Biblical texts on his website – Unfolding Light. (Pastor Amy has shared his writing before.) In her message on Sunday, Amy ended with these words from Garnaas-Holmes. As Jesus says, “Let anyone with ears listen.”

“In gathering the weeds

You would uproot the wheat along with them.

Let both of them grow together until the harvest.” 

—Matthew 13:29-30

Oh, how we want to be among the wheat

at the last judgment, gathered and bundled off to heaven,

not separated out to be burned!

As if Jesus is talking about others—

you know, those bad people—and not you,

not what in you yourself is good and bad.

Maybe God lets you discern what is fruitful in you

and blesses it; and what is not fruitful,

if you are willing, God graciously, thankfully, removes.

Maybe we shouldn’t be ripping out weeds

because we don’t know what’s weeds and what isn’t;

we don’t really know what’s good or bad.

Maybe, though we’d love to get rid of those we hate,

we shouldn’t, because we actually depend on them,

and removing them would uproot us, too.

Maybe we should go easy on our judgments because

we have no idea what wounds or burdens people bear,

so that what seems evil to us is actually pretty good for them.

Maybe it’s not that we shouldn’t judge

but that we can’t: we can’t know

what grace lurks in even the worst person or situation.

Maybe resisting evil and injustice is so hard

because there are weeds of hate and fear in our own hearts

and sorting that out is hard and humbling.

Maybe the stuff in your life that seems bad

is also graced, and your work is

to glean the fruit from it.

Maybe God is so present in everything

that even despite the vilest evil

grace is always possible.

P.S. We’d love to see your marigolds!