Karen Wellman
What we have below is an image of wheat on the left and tarres on the right.
They are very similar and even an experienced gardener or farmer is going to struggle to tell them apart. Apparently it is easier to sort them out at harvest time as the wheat plant holds the seed up whereas the tarres seed head hangs down. At that point the farmer can remove the tarres and then harvest the wheat.
These plants would have been very familiar to Jesus’ audience but the situation of having things in our life that are both good and bad, life giving and life draining is one that is familiar to us today. Sometimes we need to live with uncertainty, with complexity, with things that are not right and wait for the right time to deal with them or allow someone else to deal with them.
In reflecting on this parable perhaps spend some time looking back over your life over the past four months whilst we have been in lockdown.
What has been positive in this experience that you want to hold onto in the next few months? What has been negative and you will be glad to let go?
What do you still have to live with that is not as you wish it to be? Is this something that an agency, a friend, your church can help you with?
Are there some things that need just to be handed over to God as it is not the right time for answers and solutions? This is not an easy place to be and is a place where there may be need for some prayer.
Living with wheat and tarres is complex and not comfortable. Letting go of what we can’t solve isn’t easy either. It seems like a week for lots of prayer!
