Jesus describes for us a world like being a field that he himself has sowed with good seed. But the hand of an enemy succeeded also to sow in it a detestable weed called «chaff». It looks like a wheat plant, but its seeds are poisonous and cause giddiness like alcohol intoxication.

« The good seed, explains Jesus, are the children of the Kingdom; the chaff are the supporters of the Evil One » (Matt. 13:38).

It is now clear that in the world, according to Jesus, there are, on one side, the good people, and on the other side, the evil people, on one side, the cowboys who have all the rights, and on the other side, the Indians who are entirely to blame. The world would be some kind of an old western movie.

Still, knowing Jesus a little, we know very well that in his head things are far from being so.

For him, Christians are not necessarily good and non-Christians are not necessarily evil. Believers, Catholics, those who practice their religion, the couples married in the church, heterosexuals, those who know the doctrine by heart are not necessarily angels, and the others, be they the unbelievers, the antipopes, the gays, the lesbians, the priests incapable of assuming their celibacy, the women who become priests despite the threats of the Vatican, the people who do not know much about doctrine but who live in agreement with their conscience, are not necessarily firewood for hell.

Would the good people be those who are faithful to the law or those who are faithful to love?

Jesus tells us that the good people are « the sons and daughters of the Kingdom ».

But who are the children of the Kingdom?

The children of the Kingdom are those who do not judge. They are those who are aware that they are not nearer to God because they always have in their mouth the word « Lord! Lord! ».

The children of the Kingdom are those who know that the last ones are actually the first ones in the eyes of God, and who know also that in the Kingdom of God, there are prostitutes and crooks who come way ahead of the « holier than Thou » churchy people

The children of the Kingdom are those who recognize that God's gift can manifest itself in a surprising way in the life of a half-pagan lady who has already known her fifth or sixth husband.

They are those whose heart is opened to others without any consideration of race, religion or of no religion at all...

They are those who are thirsty and hungry for justice...and who are sensitive to the sufferings of others.

Jesus tells us that it is like that in the world: there is chaff that looks like good seed and there is good grain which looks like chaff. It really looks like that! And so, better not venture in untangling all of that and let to God who knows what is going on in our hearts the care of sifting the truth at the hour and in the way it pleases Him.

Eloy Roy

Translated from the French by Jacques Bourdages