Sixteenth of Year A - Tolerance & Forbearance
July 2008
Today’s Gospel is not about what will happen at the end of the world or at the end of my earthly life. Today’s Gospel is not about the reward given to the just or the punishment given to the unjust at the last judgement.
Today’s Gospel does not even mean that there will be a last judgement in the sense that we understand it.
Today’s Gospel is about tolerance, patience and forbearance.
Today’s Gospel is about being patient with the failings of our fellow human beings.
Today’s Gospel is about not imposing my own ideas and judgements about what is acceptable behaviour on my fellow human beings.
The central passage and message of today’s Gospel is “let both grow together until the harvest.”
My task is to be patient and tolerant with my fellow human beings until the final sorting.
This final sorting is in God’s hands. When this will happen or what it will involve is none of my business.
I can safely leave this final sorting in God’s hands. My duty is to “let both grow together until the harvest.”