When we pray, we most often ask for God’s blessings for those we love, those who are struggling or suffering, or perhaps for those we respect for doing good works in our communities or in the world. However, we may be hesitant to pray for individuals doing harm to others or who are just plain evil in thought, word and deed.
Pastor Beth’s sermon for this 7th Sunday after Pentecost, as read by Nancy M, is based on the parable Jesus tells about good and evil co-existing in the world. In the parable (Matthew 13) slaves ask the Master if they should go and gather the weeds from the fields, thus separating them from the wheat. The Master replies, “No, for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat with along them.”
Whether we are praying or not, it is not our job to decide who is a weed and who is wheat. In fact, we all have both within us. And the one we feed and tend to the most is the one that will grow and flourish.
Jesus says let the wheat and the weeds grow together and God will sort it out.
To listen to the gospel and sermon, click the link below.