The God of Googol Chances

Ahh, the happy, fun-loving days when googol meant 10 to the 100^th power.   Remember those days? 

If you asked someone to “google something” they thought perhaps you meant to stare inappropriately at it. 

Back then “googol” was just a really, really big number.  It sort of is now as well – in terms of the buckets of money Google rakes in and the amount of influence it peddles.

Getting back to googol the number, that’s one reason why this Sunday’s Gospel passage is so encouraging.  Especially when paired with last Sunday’s message about God being an indiscriminate sower of seed.

We’ve all had the experience of kicking ourself for missing the boat.  Like the bitcoin boat - “why didn’t I buy bitcoin when it was $1.50?”  

Many of us have had the same experience in the spiritual realm.  “If only I could claw back all those years of worldly living?” ….  “Why didn’t I ever tell so-and-so how I felt about them?” … “Why didn’t I take that opportunity to pray with that stranger?” … and so on.

Last Sunday and this Sunday remind us that God keeps casting seed.  Again and again and again.  Sometimes it lands on the stonier places of our heart, and we fail to let it bear fruit.

But God keeps casting. 

And not only that – but by God’s grace, we can keep improving the soil of our heart (as we heard from St. John Chrysostom last week – God would cast seed on rocky ground if there wasn’t a chance for it to change). 

And, looked at in the proper light, this Sunday’s Gospel passage reminds us that God never counts us out – He doesn’t judge as we do, and until our last breath weeds can always be transformed to wheat.  He is always desiring deeper and deeper conversion of our heart.  He is always giving us new opportunities for repentance, for loving Him, and for serving our neighbor.

And this is particularly true and hopeful for those who bear the cross of loved ones who are far from the Lord (which is most of us).  God is patient.  God desires them to come to Him.  God is always reaching out to them, casting more and more seed to them – some of which is us.

Blessings on your journey with Christ –

Steve and Karen Smith

Interior Life

Postscript:  Mt 13:24-30,36-43

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying: "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field.  While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.  When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well.  The slaves of the householder came to him and said, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?' He answered, 'An enemy has done this.'  His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them.  Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, "First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house.  His disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."  He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom.  The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.  Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.  They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  Whoever has ears ought to hear."