Jeremiah 7: 1-11; Psalm 84; Matthew 13: 24-30
On July 12, Isaiah announced the same message as Jeremiah does today: “act justly, do not oppress the alien, the orphan and the widow, do not shed innocent blood…” If the people of Israel didn't "get it", have we? God is enraged that the temple is “a den of thieves.” Psalm 84 takes a totally opposite tack: the temple is a place of joy, a home. An d Jesus tells a parable that reminds us that it is God who judges and we had better not: the wheat and the weeds. We might uproot what looks like weed but really is wheat. “Let both of them grow together,” the Master advises, and then they can be separated truly.
You might look at “the temple” as our church, some of us acting for justice, some shedding innocent blood, some of us greedy thieves and some finding comfort and joy in the Body of Christ. Who can judge? You might look at “the temple” as your own self. When have you cut down something that you judged as bad, nasty, sinful, only to find that where sin abounds, grace abounds more? Ask to trust God to be your only judge. There must be some judgment in order to avoid evil, but we are not allowed to judge motives of others. Only God can judge the heart and its motives. That should be a relief to you!
Forgive us and all the people of the world who avoid justice and choose greed, who ignore aliens, widows, orphans, and all the voiceless of today’s society.