28 July, Tuesday — The Harvest Will Come

Tuesday of Week 17 in Ordinary Time

Jer 14:17-22
Mt 13:36-43

“…the harvest is the end of the world.”

When Jesus explains this parable, He does not focus on the weeds. He points, instead, to the harvest.

The harvest is certain. The Son of Man Himself will send His angels to separate the wheat from the weeds. Evil will not remain forever, and justice will not be forgotten. Jesus is directing His disciples beyond the present and towards the end of time, when all things will finally be seen for what they are.

That also sheds light on the servants’ question. They are not wrong to recognise the weeds. The master does not correct them. What he does correct is their assumption that they should bring about the harvest themselves.

There is an important difference. As Christians, we are called to exercise discernment. We are not asked to ignore evil or pretend that wrong is right. But the final judgment belongs to Christ alone. We see only what is before us. He alone sees the whole of a person’s life and what may yet unfold before the harvest.

I have often found this difficult, especially when faced with injustice. It is much easier to want the harvest now than to wait for God’s time. Yet today’s Gospel reminds me that I am living before the harvest, not after it. The certainty that Christ will one day judge the world allows me to entrust judgment to Him, rather than trying to take His place.

The Gospel ends with a promise: “The virtuous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” That is where Jesus leaves His disciples. He leaves them, not with the weeds, but with the hope of the kingdom. It is a reminder that, even when justice seems delayed, the final word belongs not to evil, but to Christ.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Stacey Fernandez)

Prayer: Lord, teach me to trust Your timing. Help me to recognise what is right, but to leave judgment to You. Keep my heart from bitterness and make me more like You. Amen.

Thanksgiving: Lord, thank You for Your patience with me. Thank You for Your perfect justice, Your endless mercy, and for never giving up on me.