In the midst of the gospel reading for today Jesus offers a familiar teaching. “…(God) makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good,” he says, “and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45b). These words are intended to encourage believers to treat all people with love just as God does. But if we listen carefully we will also find profound insight into our lives of faith.
If sinners and the unrighteous receive sun and rain (essential in an agricultural society and therefore essential to life) then the opposite is also true. Those who are righteous will experience disasters like drought and pestilence right along with everyone else. Of course, we knew that already. We’ve seen it happen over and over again. Now with Jesus’ help we know better than to make easy assumptions about one another, or even about God. If God is withholding judgment until the proper time, perhaps we, too, should withhold our judgment, perhaps we, too, should go about our lives blessing instead of cursing one another. Elsewhere in Matthew Jesus tells of a field of wheat and weeds growing side by side. It is only at the time of harvest, says Jesus, that they are to be separated (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43). The message is not only for us to live in accordance with God’s will, but also for us to allow God to act when and how God chooses. If Jesus can turn one loaf into many, just think how many weeds God can change to wheat with sunlight and rain.
Prayer: Lord, creation is yours. Help us trust you to be at work through in it as you will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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