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Explanation for:
Matthew
13
:
29
And he said: No, lest perhaps gathering up the cockle, you root up the wheat also together with it.
10
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Gregory the Theologian","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88c5f2a7f789cd7951c81_Gregory%20the%20Theologian.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"If your speech cannot be controlled and your desires lead you to pride, while you refuse to submit to the authority of those who may lack wisdom, do not condemn your brother or label his caution as wickedness. As one who has committed to humility, do not rashly distance yourself from him by judging or losing hope; instead, demonstrate your humility while you can. Prefer your brother without causing harm to yourself, for to condemn and debase him is to separate from Christ and from the only source of hope, discarding the hidden good that may, in time, surpass your own merit.\\n\\nInstead, strive to guide him gently and compassionately, not as a harsh adversary or a callous physician who sees only one solution—cutting away the problem. Recognize your own frailties as well. If your own vision is clouded by sin or suffering, how can you see clearly? If you perceive the world as chaotic due to your own afflictions, do not hastily attribute this confusion to others. It is far wiser to reflect and discern before passing judgment on another’s wrongdoing.\\n\\nTaking a life is not the same as pruning a plant or withering flower; you are created in the likeness of God and converse with another who bears His image. When you judge your brother, remember that you will also face judgment; you assess a servant who belongs to another master. Consider your brother as you would wish to be regarded yourself. Therefore, do not quickly sever ties or cast aside a member until you can be certain that it will not cause further injury to the healthy parts. Offer guidance, encourage, and reprove as necessary (2 Tim. 4:2). You possess the authority to heal; you follow the example of Christ, who is gentle, compassionate, and supportive of the weak among you. \\n\\nIf your brother resists the first time, show him patience; if he falters a second time, maintain hope—there is time for healing. If he stumbles a third time, act as a compassionate gardener, pleading with the Lord to refrain from uprooting the barren fig tree before caring for it and providing nourishment (Luke 13:8)—meaning, offer the opportunity for confession, acknowledge shortcomings, and mend a faulty life. Who knows whether it might yet blossom, bearing fruit and nourishing Jesus on His return from Bethany?\\n\\nEmbrace your brother’s true or perceived shortcomings, for you are anointed with a spirit of peace, called to share that divine fragrance with him. Sin is not an immediate poison leading to swift agony or death, warranting a hasty retreat or destruction of the sinner. Rather, strive to heal your brother; and if you cannot, at least strive to avoid complicity in his failings. A brother's sin might produce an unpleasant odor, but it can be dispelled by your fragrant offering of love. Consider committing to your sacred kinship in a manner similar to what Paul, the zealous one, envisioned for the Israelites—that they might be brought to Christ through your intercession.\\n\\nBeware, then, of hastily expelling your brother from fellowship over your mere suspicions. In doing so, you might lose someone for whom Christ sacrificed His life. Thus, though you may be well-versed in discussions regarding food and steadfast in faith, be careful not to “destroy with thy food” (Romans 14:15) the one cherished by Christ through shared suffering. The nature of the situation may differ, yet encouragement remains perpetually valuable."},{"author-name":"Augustine of Hippo","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88950a5c988a4fc06c7ae_Augustine%20of%20Hippo.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"The workers were displeased with the master of the house because they desired to remove the tares, yet he forbade them. Their intention was to separate the tares, but he insisted that they refrain from doing so. They acted within their capacity, leaving the removal of the tares to the angels. Despite their resistance to entrusting this task to the angels, the master, who was fully aware of everyone and recognized the necessity of separation, instructed them to tolerate the tares and not to separate them. When they inquired if they should gather them, he replied, \\"No, lest in gathering the tares you uproot the wheat along with them.\\" They then asked, \\"What will happen to the tares; will they remain in the barn with us?\\" He assured them, \\"At harvest time I will instruct the harvesters, 'Gather the tares first and bind them in bundles to be burned; leave what should remain in the field.'\\" \\n\\nTruth itself thus reveals that humanity is not organized in such a way that one can predict exactly what each individual will become in the future, based on current errors, or how the mistakes they observe may serve the righteous. Excluding such individuals from this life could inadvertently lead to the harm of the righteous when attempting to eradicate the unrighteous, as they may unintentionally join their ranks. Additionally, the righteous can benefit from the presence of the unwilling. This tragic outcome may occur when there is no opportunity for change at the end of life due to unforeseen circumstances arising from the recognition of another's faults. However, this task is carried out not by humans but by angels. Thus, the master of the house responds: \\"No, lest in gathering the weeds you also uproot the wheat; at harvest time I will tell the harvesters...\\" \\"Lest, while you gather the weeds, you inadvertently uproot the wheat.\\" Is it not because even the righteous have not yet reached their full potential, requiring engagement with some of the unrighteous, that through this interaction they may be refined, or from observing the best, they might cultivate a deeper commitment through contrast? If the unrighteous are eradicated prematurely, the profound love, akin to being uprooted, will fade away, indicating a complete severance from its source. Indeed, the apostle affirms, \\"That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend...\\" or perhaps this simultaneous uprooting of the wheat occurs when the tares are gathered because many begin as weeds and later transform into wheat. If the unrighteous are not patiently tolerated, they may fail to undergo a commendable transformation, and thus, if they are removed prematurely, the potential wheat that they could become will likewise be eliminated."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"God refrains from permitting the annihilation of heretics through conflict, for this would result in the suffering and destruction of the righteous as well. He desires not to obliterate humanity because of wicked intentions, for that would also lead to the loss of the good amidst the bad. Therefore, if Matthew, who was akin to tares, had departed from this life, the fruitful wheat of the word that emerged from him later would have also perished. The same applies to Paul and the criminal, who, despite being tares themselves, were preserved in life so that their eventual virtues could flourish."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"He prohibited the annihilation of heretics to prevent the faithful from being harmed alongside them. This could lead to conflict and violence between the two groups."},{"author-name":"Tichon of Zadonsk","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989ff6b5b4c943e70095_Tichon%20of%20Zadonsk.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":18,"exegesis-text":"There are instances when weeds grow among the wheat. The wheat symbolizes the righteous, while the weeds represent the wicked. Just as the weeds emerge alongside the wheat, so too do evildoers exist among the believers. Initially, the weeds are indistinguishable from the wheat; however, as the wheat begins to mature and bear fruit, it becomes evident that these plants are not wheat but weeds. Similarly, the malicious are not immediately identifiable, but gradually their true nature is unveiled: “By their fruits you will know them,” states the Lord (Matthew 7:20). There exists a profound distinction between the weeds and the wheat, just as there is between the righteous and the unrighteous. The weeds, as we observe, serve no purpose; the wheat, on the other hand, is beneficial in every way. Likewise, the wicked are worthless while the righteous are useful in all things. The weeds, being unfit, are collected into bundles and set ablaze at harvest time, whereas the wheat is gathered into the granary. In the same manner, the unrighteous, as the unfruitful, will be gathered at the end of the age, bound in bundles, and condemned to eternal fire. Those who engage in immorality, infidelity, corruption, and deceit will form their bundle. Thieves, aggressors, and robbers, who take what belongs to others, will compose their bundle. The deceitful, sly, and manipulative will contribute to their bundle. Backbiters and those who curse will also be included. Hypocrites, who pretend to be righteous while being wicked within, will make up their bundle. These, along with other lawless individuals, being unfruitful to their Lord, will be thrown into eternal fire to face destruction. In contrast, the righteous, the just, the holy, who yield the fruit of God's word with perseverance, producing some a hundredfold, others sixty, and still others thirty, will be gathered into the heavenly kingdom like wheat into the barn. “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seeds are the children of the kingdom, but the weeds are the children of the evil one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Therefore, as the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age: the Son of Man will send forth his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all lawbreakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:37-43). Sinners, let us repent. May we not be consumed by eternal fire like the weeds, but rather bear the worthy fruits of repentance. By the grace of God, may we be the wheat gathered into the heavenly barn. “O God of Power! Restore us, and shine Your face upon us, that we may be saved” (Psalm 79:4)."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Separating the tares: the roots of the grass and the seeds are so closely intertwined that when attempting to remove the tares, there is a risk of uprooting the wheat alongside them."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The servants remarked, \\"Surely they did not appear by themselves; it was the enemy who did this.\\" They then asked Him, \\"Will You go and select them?\\" But He replied, \\"No, that is neither necessary nor proper; it is unwise to remove them. The roots of the wheat and the weeds are so closely intertwined that there is a risk that in pulling out the weeds, you may also uproot the wheat. What should be done? It is best to allow both to grow together until the harvest. When the wheat and the weeds are fully ripe, it will be easier to distinguish them without damaging the wheat. At the time of harvest, I will instruct the reapers, 'First gather the weeds and bundle them for burning, but bring the wheat into my barn.'\\""},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The Savior proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven would prevail through the strength of truth, which is inherent to its essence. This divine force, characterized by faith and love, would bring about the renewal of creation. However, its expansion would encounter the deceitful schemes of the ancient adversary, who would relentlessly employ all means of his malevolence to hinder or obstruct the kingdom's advancement. In this regard, \\"the kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.\\" Yet, during the night, his adversary secretly scattered tares among the wheat to stifle the good crop. When the servants observed this, they suggested to their master that they should remove the tares; however, the master replied, \\"No; in picking out the tares you may pull out the wheat with them. Therefore leave both to grow until the harvest.\\" At harvest time, the reapers will have the chance to gather the tares safely without damaging the wheat, and, at the master's command, they will bind the tares in bundles to be burned, while the wheat will be stored in the barn."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"In the parable of the sower, the Lord revealed that merely a quarter of the seeds landed upon fertile soil, while in the tale of the weeds, the adversary exploits the negligence and carelessness of mankind, leaving no seed that fell on good ground untouched (Bl. Theophylact). The Kingdom of Heaven is comparable to a man who sowed wholesome seeds in his field; however, as he slept, his foe came and sowed weeds among the wheat and then departed. When the grass matured and bore fruit, the weeds also became evident. The Lord’s servants approached him, asking, “Master, did you not plant good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?” He responded, “The enemy has done this.” They inquired, “Do you want us to go and uproot the weeds?” He replied, “Let them grow together until the harvest; at the harvest time, I will instruct the reapers: first gather the weeds and bundle them to be burned, then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.”"},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The Lord made it clear that there exists another sower alongside Him, sowing a different seed. Through a fresh parable, He illustrated that amidst the good seed, the adversary of humanity plants weeds that resemble wheat but are not truly wheat. The landowner allows both to grow until the harvest, ensuring that if he were to uproot the weeds too early, he would not risk damaging the wheat (Matthew 12:22-30 and 36-46). The Lord hinted that within His kingdom, the discernment of righteousness from wickedness—judgment—will not occur swiftly."}]}
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