One of the important questions asked of theologians and philosophers is, “Why is there evil?” If there is a God who is good and loving and powerful, how is it that bad things happen, that people suffer, that evil appears to have the upper hand? This question in particular is so pressing because it’s not just some intellectual exercise. People we love are suffering – we are suffering - because of evil in the world, and we need to make sense of it.
There have been countless pages written in response to this question, from a variety of perspectives. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus tackles it, too. The focus of his parable and the subsequent explanation is less on why there is evil, and more about how we are to respond.
First, the why – the weeds did not show up by chance, a few rogue stems peeking up through an otherwise robust crop. Instead, we hear that an enemy has done this. While everyone was asleep, the enemy came and intentionally planted weeds, and perhaps even a specific kind of weed which is almost indistinguishable from wheat. It is certainly not what the farmer had in mind for that field, for that crop of wheat, so lovingly planted.
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| Photo by Jake Gard on Unsplash |
In the same way, when we encounter evil and suffering in the world, we know that it is not of God. Sin, brokenness, and evil are not God’s intention for the world God so lovingly made and called good. Rather, God’s desire is wholeness, shalom, and abundant life for all of creation.
So how are we to respond to the presence of evil in the world? In the parable, the workers are eager to get rid of the weeds they’ve found growing alongside the wheat. Surprisingly, though, the farmer cautions them to wait. It’s too risky, for in gathering up the weeds, the wheat would inevitably be uprooted as well. Better to wait until the harvest, first allowing the wheat to reach maturity and produce its fruit.
Oftentimes, we find it easy to focus on the presence of evil in those around us, eager to point it out and remove it with great zeal. As with the wheat and weeds, however, this task often requires much more discernment than we imagine. How can we be sure that we’re not uprooting wheat along with the weeds? It’s never simple, is it? So much is interconnected. What about good deeds with unintended consequences, or less-than-wonderful means which allow for a desirable end?
Even within ourselves, it can be hard to untangle the good parts from the sinful parts. Our motivations; our thoughts, our words, our deeds; our sin both known and unknown – who’s to say what is good and what is evil? In the words of Martin Luther, we are simul justus et peccator – at the same time, saint and sinner.
What a relief, then, that the reaping is not our work. We are called instead to tend the wheat, to nurture those things in ourselves and in our world which produce fruit. While we are also called to speak out against evil, injustice, oppression, and violence, we do so with care and humility, knowing that the work will be never-ending until that day when God’s harvesters burn it away forever.
This is the hope we cling to, that God’s promises are trustworthy and true. However bleak things seem to be, in the end, the weeds will not win. Evil will not get the last word. God promises to root out “all causes of sin and all evildoers” in our world, and in ourselves, which will be burned away, leaving only the goodness and growth that God intends.
In the meantime, we give thanks for a God who calls us children and heirs. We give thanks for a God who is with us in the midst of the suffering and evil we encounter in our lives and in the lives of those we love. We give thanks for a God who hears our groans and cries of anguish, and who sets us free.
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