SEPARATE THE EVIL FROM THE GOOD

16^th Sunday 2020 (A) - Homily (MATT 13: 24-30) 

Do you know what is CKT? It stands for Char Keoy Teow. I started loving Char Keoy Teow when I was in the first year of seminary in Penang, in 1995. Every Tuesday, we would have CKT for breakfast and our cook would put a lot of taugeys (beans sprouts) into it. I was always the last person to finish my breakfast, every Tuesday.

Some of my seminary Fathers told me to inform our cook, Ah Ee to separate my CKT before she mixed with taugey for the others. Actually, I didn’t like to trouble her so much, so I didn’t inform Ah Ee, but would always take my own sweet time in collecting or picking up taugey one by one, before I dug in the CKT. The rest of the seminarians would be watching me separating the taugey from the CKT. Till now, I will still separate them from my noodles.  

What does CKT and taugey to do with today’s gospel (Mt 13: 24-30)?

Imagine this. CKT is wheat, the good ones. Taugeys are the weed or darnel, the evil ones.  The taugeys always corrupt my taste for CKT. The parable illustrated to allow the wheat and weeds or darnel to grow together until the harvest, and that is why, I did not ask Ah Ee to separate the CKT and taugey. Good and evil exist, and side by side in our world – in the past, today and future.

This imagery for a harvest of the good and the bad, will be coming soon. God allows for both the good and bad to grow together until harvest day. On harvest day, which is the end of time, He will gather and bundle “the weed”, set them aside and throw them “into the blazing furnace,” (Matt 13: 50). The good ones, on the other hand, will be gathered into the barn and “be in Communion with all saints in Heaven,” (The Apostles’ Creed).

We must master our heart, with goodness. The book of Wisdom said – “after sin, you will  grant repentance,” (Wis 12: 19). God is patient, and He is very, very patient and He is "good and forgiving," (Ps 85). He awaits for us to repent and He desires that greatly. God knows what is good and what is evil, as St Paul says, “Do not be mastered by evil, but master evil with good,” (Romans 12: 21). The evil can stifle the growth of our goodness. The temptations are great. Evil can be difficult to put a stop to, but it is NOT impossible. In fact, it’s very simple! At time we need to be courageous enough to say, “Get behind me Satan!” (Matt 16: 23). Just rely and trust on Jesus full heartedly.

In these two Sundays, we saw Jesus as the Sower and Him as the Landowner. Jesus helps us in every trial and temptation. He knows what is going on inside of us. He will helps us separate the evil from the good. We have to remain faithful and obedient to God’s Words, even during our tough times – just be patient and be attentive. We must be patient and let God work His way in our lives. We have all the opportunities to repair or correct our ways. 

The weeds, darnels can change their nature to keep attracting us. As human beings, we can repent, change or make conversion from our bad behaviours. We can be good and grow better. We must improve ourselves and separate ourselves from those weeds or darnels in our lives. It’s really possible (for those who have lost hope). Through His Grace, He will make the changes in us and in His time, He will make all things beautiful again! He promised us this.