Caught within Parallel Realities
Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
8th Sunday After Pentecost, July 23, 2023
Pastor Ritva H Williams
Welcome to episode two of the 13th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel which is devoted to parables drawn from the every day life of first century Galilee. Jesus’ parables always have a twist, a surprise or something unbelievable. A perfect example, is last week’s story of a sower who sows extravagantly and indiscriminately and yet enjoys crop yields of 100, 60 and 30 percent in a time and place where 4 or 5 percent was considered outstanding. Jesus hardly ever explained his own parables. The explanations we read in the gospel come from Matthew’s community 60 years later. For that reason I like to concentrate on the twists and turns of the parable itself.
Today, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a person of wealth and status, a householder who owns land and slaves, who go out and sows “good seed” in their field. It was highly unusual in the world of Jesus for a wealthy landowner to sow his own fields. There’s something odd going on here.
That same night an enemy sows zizania in the newly planted field. Our NRSV reading translates zizania incorrectly as “weeds,” a negative label that does not describe the plant or its qualities. So what is zizania? Its Latin name is lolium temulentum. In English it is called darnel, and sprouts up in wheat fields all over the globe. It looks like wheat, but produces bitter-tasting seeds instead of grain. In large quantities, darnel can be poisonous to humans and animals. A few seeds accidentally ground with wheat turn the resulting flour gray and so bitter you can’t eat anything made from it. Yet, darnel is cultivated for use in homeopathic medicines as a remedy for headaches, and to reduce pain, restlessness and weakness of the limbs. You can order some from Amazon. It’s sold under its Latin name lolium temulentum.
Here’s the vignette Jesus presents: the kingdom of heaven — i.e. God’s kingdom on earth is like a carefully cultivated field where the owner discovers that alongside the life-giving grain there is a parallel potentially death-dealing crop of darnel. You can’t tell the two crops apart until they have fully matured and are ready for harvesting. Trying to separate the grain from the darnel prematurely only results in destroying the wheat because the root systems are so closely intertwined that pulling up one pulls up both.
As one commentator remarks, “this is a profound expose of the nature of evil.” Just let that sink in for a minute. God’s kingdom is spread out upon the earth but people don’t see it. Why not? Because intertwined with God’s kingdom is a parallel reality that looks deceptively like God’s kingdom. This parallel reality was and is devised by beings who are not God, but are hostile to God, and want to be God. Who are these beings? Do you have a mirror?
These parallel realities of life-giving and life-destroying systems and kingdoms live within our hearts, minds and souls. They operate in every home, workplace, neighborhood, community, state and nation. Sobering thought, is it not?
But, let’s see how the parable unfolds. The field hands, who in this parable are enslaved persons, notice the volume of plants growing in the field, and that some look suspicious. They go to their master and ask, “didn’t you sow good seed?” As enslaved persons they fear being blamed for the presence of the darnel. The master assures them, “an enemy did this.” They expect the master to seek revenge on the enemy. Their offer to pull up the darnel demonstrates their loyalty and commitment to the master. Offering to pull up the darnel shows that they are not aiding and abetting the enemy.
This interaction between slaves and master reflects the social structures of the ancient world. Jesus does not condone that system, but accurately describes how it works in order to challenge and change it. The system of slavery was and is rooted in fear and hatred of the other. As some level all of us are enslaved to fear and desire. As Paul reminds us, in Christ we do not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into either fear or slavery (Romans 8:15).
Significantly, the master does not behave like a normal master in the ancient world would. This master sows their own field. This master declares that an enemy has sown darnel in the field. How does he know that? This master not only does seek revenge on their enemy, but forbids the slaves from pulling up the darnel. Besides it isn’t their job. This master is confident the wheat will survive and even thrive until the harvest when the reapers will take care of the darnel.
As Professor Karoline Lewis writes, “The parable of the wheat and the [darnel] is not told for the sake of action but for the sake of honesty. Our presence in the world as Christians is not about a full-blown plan to get rid of evil at every turn.” All our efforts to eradicate “evil" throughout history have resulted in witch hunts, pogroms, inquisitions, crusades, concentration camps, and unrelenting discrimination, prejudice, and violence.
To echo Professor Lewis, “Frankly, I don’t want that job [of seeking out and purging sin and evil from the world]. I don’t trust myself. But I do trust God. Our presence in the world as Christians is to be the good. To live the Gospel. To be the light. To be the salt. Because we are.”
The good news is that God has planted good seed — God’s very own image within each and every person. Whatever else exists in our lives, God’s planting came first. It is the core and center of our identity and existence. While potentially life-destroying realities exist alongside God’s image within us and around us, the good news is that God intends to transform those things for life-giving purposes. The good news is that Christ is with us here and now, cultivating that good seed. Helping us keep our eyes and ears open, to pay attention to how our thoughts, words and actions produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians5:22-23). Nudging us to repent and change the thoughts, words and actions that produce jealously and envy, fear and anger, quarrels and violence. Building faith and trust, hope and persistence, as we await the revealing of God’s children in all their glory, and the renewal of all creation.
Let me close with this prayer-poem by Pastor John van de Laar (sacredise.com).
What a mixed bunch we are, Jesus, and what a tortoise-shell world we live in. Light and shadow, grace and judgement, goodness and sin side by side in each of us. But our deep longing is that the life-giving, nourishing fruit we bear transform whatever weeds creep in. May our capacity for love and friendship be stronger than our tendency to hatred and divisiveness. May our search for truth and wisdom be satisfied more than our quest for denial and self-justification. May our desire for joy and goodness be larger than our lust for wealth and power. May our journey to peace and wholeness lead us away from the path of war, violence and self-destruction. Make us those who live your values and purpose in a world that too easily chooses cursing over blessing, wounding over healing, and destruction over creativity. So that all creation may finally find its place in your harvest of life and love. Amen.
