{"id":23183,"date":"2020-07-21T11:52:23","date_gmt":"2020-07-21T16:52:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/?p=23183"},"modified":"2020-07-21T13:52:10","modified_gmt":"2020-07-21T18:52:10","slug":"tend-together-we-encourage-and-nurture-disciples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.anglicandioceseja.org\/copy\/tend-together-we-encourage-and-nurture-disciples\/","title":{"rendered":"#TEND \u2013 Together we Encourage and Nurture Disciples"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A reading from the word of written in Gospel according to <\/strong>
Matthew 13:24-30,36-43<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus put before the crowd another parable: \u201cThe kingdom of heave<\/em>n may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, \u2018Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?\u2019 He answered, \u2018An enemy has done this.\u2019 The slaves said to him, \u2018Then do you want us to go and gather them?\u2019 But he replied, \u2018No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.\u2019\u201d<\/em>

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, \u201cExplain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.\u201d He answered, \u201cThe one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!\u201d The Word of the Lord. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our reading from this past Sunday, we are told that the\nowner of a farm planted good seed on his land, but that a wicked adversary went\nbehind his back and planted weeds overnight. How cruel we might say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, the two are later discovered by the owner\u2019s\nservants \u2013 they are prepared to do the necessary to rid the good land of the\nunwanted plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the owner stops them. Leave the wheat and the weeds he\ncounsels. Allow the two to grow to the time of harvest \u2013 when they will be\nseparated \u2013 the good to be kept, the bad to be thrown into the flames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This parable\u2019 accompanying explanation identifies all the\ncharacters for us, which is useful, because we know who we want to identify\nwith \u2013 surely we want to be \u2018good seed\u2019 in any play for this text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as we get prepared to audition \u2013 can we imagine the\ndirector asking us \u2013 why we think we fit the part \u2013 as good seed, the wheat\nrather than the tares?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For you and I were indeed made in God\u2019s image and likeness\nand declared good, but somewhere along the way, we have all fallen away from\nGod\u2019s desire for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have all sinned and fallen short of God\u2019s glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is easy to compare ourselves to the unwanted weeds of\nthis world and to overlook our personal sin. We say \u2013 at least I am not a\nmurderer, or a thief, while failing to seek forgiveness for our actual\nmisdeeds. We do not recall how we spoke in anger, how we treated someone\nungraciously, how we undermined others in an effort to get ahead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, those are not a big deal we say \u2013 but we must ask\nourselves \u2013 what is the standard by which we measure ourselves. Is it the\nworld\u2019s standard where everything goes \u2013 or is it God\u2019s standard where we act\nout of love toward each other. Where we seek the best for each other and so\nrefrain from hurting each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like all seed \u2013 we start with the potential of being God\u2019s\ngood and perfect children \u2013 But we are human, as we grow we all fall short at some\ntime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We grow a little weedy, unkempt, and crooked. Sometimes we\noverpower our neighbours preventing them from accomplishing their potential.\nSometimes we hurt them with the thorns that accompany our words and actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need a gardener to tend us. To prune us back, to shape\nour crown and fertilize our roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God does that each time that we repent, and turn away from\nour own way and seek God anew. God forgives and restores us to wholeness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

God instructs us through the parable, that as we have been\ngiven the mercy of forgiveness and reconciliation and brought back from our\nweedy state so too should we extend the same grace to those who fall short\nwithin the church and the wider world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The church is cautioned against trying to achieve a \u2018pure\u2019 state\nin which there are no sinners. If we are honest with ourselves \u2013 very few of us\nwould qualify for entry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than seeking to cut off sinners and cast them out\nafter passing judgment on them, our role as the church is that of the community\nof forgiveness and restoration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are to become the place where we tend and nurture each\nother with respect and dignity. A place where our wounds can heal, where our\nbad decisions can be reordered, where we find encouragement and welcome among\nfriends and treated as family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And we must model this for the wider world, helping to pick\nup our fallen brothers and sisters every single time. We must never give up on\neach other as we forgive as we have been forgiven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May we who have been blessed with God\u2019s redeeming grace seek\nto tend \u2013 to encourage and nurture our fellow disciples as we continue to grow\ntogether in God\u2019s Kingdom, here on earth. Amen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us Pray<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.\u00a0Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of His redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of His most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contributed by Rev Natalie Blake<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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