16th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Waiting for God, Oh!

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed ears, then the weeds appeared also. 

The owner’s servants came and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?’
‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
 ‘No.’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling up the weeds, you may root up the Wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in a bundle to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

                                                                            Matthew 13.24-30

In Beckett’s play, Waiting for Godot, Vladimir and Estragon engage in a variety of discussions and encounters while awaiting Godot. They are not waiting hopefully and, apparently, not for the first time. Godot never arrives. Are we waiting in vain for God?

It often seems like that but in this parable, Jesus teaches us the lesson of patience. Acting impatiently, imprudently and judging in haste will lead to destroying the fragile faith we find in ourselves or in those we seek to bring to God’s kingdom of love. The farmer waits patiently for the harvest and that’s what God’s kingdom is like.

God waits patiently even though he can hardly bear to see the weeds that are the world’s sinfulness. The choice is between calling in the harvest now and risk destroying that which is good along with the bad or delaying judgment compassionately so that more may be rescued in the end. As his servants we should patiently wait with him.

That may look like God is uncaring for or inactive in the world, especially to those say, ‘Why doesn’t God do something.’ But we should point to God’s great act of intervention, the incarnation of his Son. He was full of compassion, totally committed, combating evil victoriously. It was he who encouraged patience because the final downfall of the enemy who sows deceit is yet to come.

              Day of judgment!  Day of wonder!
              Listen to the trumpet’s sound,
              louder than the voice of thunder,
              echoes all creation round:
              God of mercy, God of glory,
              may we then in Christ be found.

               And to those who have confessed him,
              loved and served the Lord below,
              Christ will say, ‘Come now, you blessèd,
              see the kingdom I bestow’.
              God of mercy, friend of sinners,
              we shall then your glory know.

John Newton (1725–1807)

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