Sermon 73
SERMO 73
ON THE WORDS OF THE GOSPEL MT 13:
Where the Lord Jesus explains the parables of the sower
Parables of the sower in Mt 13.
Both yesterday and today, as our Lord Jesus Christ spoke, we heard the parable of the sower. Those of you who were present yesterday, remember today. Yesterday it was read about the sower who, as he sowed seeds, some fell along the path, which the birds gathered; some fell on rocky places, which withered in the heat; some fell among thorns, which were choked and could not bear fruit; and some fell on good soil, and brought forth fruit hundredfold, sixtyfold, thirtyfold. But today the Lord again told another parable about a sower who sowed good seed in his field. While men slept, an enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat. When the plants grew, it did not yet appear: when the good seed began to bear fruit, then the tares also became evident. The servants of the landowner were offended, seeing many tares among the good wheat, and wanted to uproot them, but were not permitted: instead, it was said to them: Let both grow together until the harvest. The Lord Jesus Christ also explained this parable: and he said he was the sower of the good seed, he showed the enemy who sowed the tares to be the devil; the time of the harvest, to be the end of the world; his field, to be the whole world. But what did he say? At the time of the harvest I will say to the harvesters: Gather first the tares to burn them, but store my wheat in the barn. Why do you hasten, he said, servants full of zeal? You see the tares among the wheat, you see bad Christians among the good; you want to uproot the bad: be still, it is not the time of the harvest. Let it come, and may it find you as wheat. Why are you fretful? Why do you grudgingly tolerate the bad mixed with the good? They may be in the field with you, they will not be in the barn.
One thing has many names, and two things sometimes share one name in the figures of Scripture.
But you know those three things mentioned yesterday, where the seed did not prosper: the path, the rocky places, the thorny places; these are the tares. They have received another name in another likeness. For when similitudes are given, the actual essence is not expressed; through them, not the truth, but the likeness of the truth is expressed. What I say, I know few have understood: but we speak for the sake of all. In visible things, the path is a path, the rocky places are rocky places, the thorny places are thorny places: what they are, that they are; because they are named properly. But in parables and similitudes, one thing can be called by many names: therefore it is not inappropriate for me to say to you, That path, those rocky places, those thorny places are bad Christians; they are also the tares. Is not Christ the lamb? Is not Christ also the lion? Among wild beasts and livestock, the lamb is a lamb, the lion is a lion: both are Christ. Those individually denote properly: these both by similitude. It is even more remarkable that by similitude things very distant from each other can be called by one name. For what is as far distant from each other as Christ and the devil? Yet both Christ and the devil are called a lion. Christ is the lion: The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered. The devil is a lion: Do you not know that your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour? So both are lions: one a lion for strength; the other a lion for ferocity: one a lion to conquer; the other a lion to harm. The serpent itself is the devil, the ancient serpent: are we not commanded to imitate the devil, when our Pastor told us: Be simple as doves, and cunning as serpents?
To bad Christians, that they may change.
Therefore yesterday I addressed the way, I addressed the rocky places, I addressed the thorny places: and I said: Change, while you can; turn the hard ground with the plow, throw the stones out of the field, pull up the thorns from the field. Do not have a hard heart, where the word of God quickly perishes. Do not have shallow soil, where the root of love does not sit deep. Do not choke the good seed, which is sown for you by our labors, with worldly cares and desires. For the Lord sows: but we are His workers. But be good soil. Yesterday we said, and today we say to all: Let one bear a hundredfold, another sixtyfold, another thirtyfold. In one the fruit is greater, in another it is smaller: but all will belong to the granary. Yesterday we said these things, today I address the tares: but they themselves are sheep like tares. O bad Christians! O you who fill the Church by living badly! Correct yourselves before the harvest comes! Do not say: I have sinned, and what has happened to me? God has not lost His power: but He demands repentance from you. I say this to the bad, and yet Christians; I say this to the tares. For they are in the field: and it can happen that those who are tares today, will be wheat tomorrow. Therefore I also address the wheat.
To good Christians, that they should tolerate the evil ones.
O you, Christians, who live well, few among many sigh, few among many groan. Winter will pass, summer will come, behold the harvest will be present. Angels will come, who can separate and do not know how to err. We in this time are like those servants, of whom it was said: Do you wish that we go and gather them? For we wished, if it were possible, that no evil remain among the good. But it was said to us: Let both grow until the harvest. Why? For you are such that you can be deceived. Finally, listen: Lest perhaps, while you wish to uproot the tares, you root up the wheat along with them. What good do you do? Do you not destroy my harvest with your diligence? The reapers will come: and it was explained who the reapers are: But the reapers are the Angels. We are men, the Angels are reapers. We indeed, if we complete the course, will be equal to the Angels of God: but now when we resent the wicked, we are still men. And now we ought to hear: Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. For do you think, my brothers, that those tares do not ascend to the arches? Do you think they are below and not above? Would that we were not this. For me it is of little importance to be judged by you. I say indeed to your Charity, both in the arches there are wheats, there are tares; and among the people there are wheats, there are tares. Let the good endure the wicked: the wicked change and imitate the good. All, if possible, let us belong to God: all let us escape the wickedness of this age in His mercy. Let us seek good days, for we are in evil days: but in evil days let us not blaspheme, so that we may be able to reach good days.