Once again we note the importance of asking questions. As Jesus finished telling the parable of the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30) and several others, the crowds dispersed as Jesus left them. As someone commented, “they got the sermon CD, the Jesus T-Shirt and wristband, and went home to wear and shelve them.” But His disciples approached Him… (Matthew 13:36). Such is the difference between being religious and being in a relationship with Jesus: it is our privilege, and His invitation, to approach Him, constantly. And it is our responsibility to show and tell the crowd how accessible He is, and that a member of the crowd can become a disciple the moment she or he approaches Jesus with an honest question or request, particularly for a new life. It is they who get the explanation of the parable of the weeds, which, as we saw before, identifies that, in this world, and in Jesus’ version of “church”, there will always be a variety of “grains”, some which are genuine, and some which are not. Ultimately, only God can distinguish between them. Our call is to set the tone by seeking Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength so that this becomes the standard of “wheatiness”. We leave the separating out to Him and His angels who guard His church.
Here Jesus calls such seekers “the righteous”, who will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matthew 13:43) and who, even now, are called to let their light shine, so that [others] may see [their] good works and give glory to [their] Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Notice that there is no distinction between “the righteous”, and no levels of illumination. If they are His righteous, they are His forever.
Today is All Souls Day, when the church remembers all the faithful departed in Christ. It follows All Saints Day, when the super-luminary Saints of the faith were recognized. All Souls Day was designed for remembering the rest of us, the lower-level saints. Thankfully, as we’ve looked more closely into the Scriptures, we’ve recaptured the sense that all of us, you included, are called “saints”, even as you and I are works in process. Though we do honor those who have shined in a way that truly has been brilliant for Him, nonetheless, we are grateful that we are in the same family, in the same league, as they, since our life in Christ is dependent on His adopting us by grace, through faith, evidenced in our good works, some of them truly dazzling.
So today, dear saint of God, let your light so shine, even as you give thanks for the luminous ones you have known who have shown you the way. May you do the same for others around you today.
