The Gospel for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost is from Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43. These verses contain Jesus' Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (or Weeds) and His explanation of it to His close disciples. Many of us like to be positive and emphasize the growth of goodness, but this story reminds us that the development of goodness in this world is complicated. Even in relatively good times, there are problems. In a fallen world, evil is always present alongside goodness.
The wheat is the divine Word, especially the Gospel, sown in God's field, but all is not as it should be, even in Christ's church. God's spiritual enemy has scattered bad seed in the field. By this parable, our Lord reminds us that life in the world, including life in the earthly church, is a mixture. Of course, there is a need for individual and community discipline. There are situations when certain notorious sinners or heretics can be excluded from particular churches. Yet, a perfect community of faith is not attainable in this world. Until the final harvest, there will be weeds growing beside the good grain in God's field. There are bad things growing within individuals and among Christian communities, even at our best. We should recognize the reality of such worldly corruption, but at the same time, we should continue seeking divine grace so that we may grow in goodness and encourage its growth around us.
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