Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds."

 At that time, 36 Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds." 37 Jesus answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world. The good seed are those who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those who belong to the evil one. 39 The enemy who sowed the weeds is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age. The reapers are the angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all sinners and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear."

— The Word of the Savior. Reflection The clarity of Jesus' teachings belongs to His disciples. Jesus Himself is the one who sows the good seed, which are the children of the Kingdom; the field is the world; the weeds are the children of the evil one; the adversary is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. In fact, the text deals with an issue that is not only eschatological, emphasizing not sowing but harvesting, but also the very reality of the Christian community. Therefore, it contradicts the messianic impatience of Jesus' followers, pushing aside the idea of ​​a community of "pure" people, disconnected from the reality of the world. The disciples must have their eyes fixed on the justice of God, even though they live in a field also involved in injustice. It is not up to them to do justice in any way, immediately seeking to eliminate their enemies. This would be a form of preserving Pharisaism, a clear expression of hypocrisy, since we are all sinners. Furthermore, it would be a tremendous betrayal of both the teachings and the practice of Jesus Himself. They are not responsible for the harvest, but only for the sowing. Two attitudes mark this text: the enemy's attitude in causing the destruction of the wheat and the farmer's attitude in preserving even the weeds, so that not a single stalk of wheat is lost. In addition, it is possible to observe the farmer's patience. His concern is with the future, that is, with the harvest, without losing any of His people. On the other hand, it also points to the fate of those who live in enmity with God. One can even affirm a kind of mercy from the Lord, but nothing justifies an apparently free life that goes against the faith, in adversity, in a persistent experience of sin, and yet is welcomed as “welcome” to the Kingdom of God. The glorious future depends mainly on God's initiative, that is the starting point, but also on each person's conscious response to His call and His plan of salvation. The Christian community develops in the midst of a world where many adversaries of the Lord also live. The Church cannot exist in the world apart from everything else. It is not possible to understand a story with total clarity between good and evil, nor to separate them absolutely in institutions and people while they act on a battlefield. The final separation will occur in the future, at the final judgment. Even within each person there is a true struggle between what is good and what only hinders a life of holiness. It is necessary to stay alive in the battle, knowing that, as one places oneself before God, obeying His will and forming oneself in the Word of Salvation, one's own life is strengthened and tends, by the power of God's grace, to victory. Each person and the community itself cannot fall asleep in faith and goodness. May the disciples be sponsors of goodness, may they be motivators of life and living in truth, may they always be bearers of salvation, precisely the opposite of those represented by the weeds, who make others sin by practicing evil. The end result is that, for the disciples, communion with God is reserved, but for the enemies, eternal damnation. A strong and affectionate hug.