THE WEEK OF EPIPHANY V – MONDAY

LESSON: PSALM 145:13-21

Let both grow together until the harvest. Matthew 13:30

The Gospel (of the weeds among the wheat) shows us what action we should take against heretics and false teachers. It is not always possible to eradicate them and destroy them. Christ expressly declares that we must allow the weeds and the wheat to grow together.

We must base our whole action here on the Word of God alone. In this connection it is possible that the one who is in error today may be right tomorrow. Who knows when God’s Word will touch a man’s heart? If he is burnt or otherwise dispatched, it becomes quite impossible for him to be corrected; he is removed from all influence of the Word of God, and a man is lost who might otherwise have been saved.

This is the reason why the Lord says that precautions should be taken, so that when the weeds are gathered the wheat should not be rooted out with them. This would, indeed, be a horrible thing for which we could not answer before God.

What foolish people we were for so long for believing that we could force the Turks to believe with the sword, the heretics with the fire, and the Jews with death, trying to root out the weeds with our own strength and power! We acted just as if we were empowered to control men’s hearts and spirits and make them godly and orthodox when God’s Word alone can do this.

SL.XI.506,4-5
AE 76,304

PRAYER: Grant us both knowledge and grace, O Lord, that we may never presume to interpose ourselves in any context where your Word alone should be the one and only factor that can help our fellowmen and your kingdom, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.