Matthew 13:24-43
24 Another parable he proposed to them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seeds in his field. 25 But while men were asleep, his enemy came and oversowed cockle among the wheat and went his way.
26 And when the blade was sprung up, and had brought forth fruit, then appeared also the cockle. 27 And the servants of the goodman of the house coming said to him: Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it cockle? 28 And he said to them: An enemy hath done this. And the servants said to him: Wilt thou that we go and gather it up? 29 And he said: No, lest perhaps gathering up the cockle, you root up the wheat also together with it. 30 Suffer both to grow until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather up first the cockle, and bind it into bundles to burn, but the wheat gather ye into my barn.
31 Another parable he proposed unto them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. 32 Which is the least indeed of all seeds; but when it is grown up, it is greater than all herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come, and dwell in the branches thereof. 33 Another parable he spoke to them: The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened. 34 All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the multitudes: and without parables he did not speak to them. 35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.
36 Then having sent away the multitudes, he came into the house, and his disciples came to him, saying: Expound to us the parable of the cockle of the field. 37 Who made answer and said to them: He that soweth the good seed, is the Son of man. 38 And the field, is the world. And the good seed are the children of the kingdom. And the cockle, are the children of the wicked one. 39 And the enemy that sowed them, is the devil. But the harvest is the end of the world. And the reapers are the angels. 40 Even as cockle therefore is gathered up, and burnt with fire: so shall it be at the end of the world.
41 The Son of man shall send his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all scandals, and them that work iniquity. 42 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the just shine as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Today’s readings are all about God’s justice. In our time, Christians tend to minimize sin, while focusing mainly on the mercy of God. But, sin is very real and we will all be judged for what we have done and for what we failed to do. Jesus’ parables all contain imagery with which the people of His time would have been familiar. Bread was essential to survival in this time. The great nations of the ancient world, especially in the Middle East, rose to power due to their ability to cultivate wheat. When the wheat crop was good, the nation was strong, the people were prosperous and healthy. When the wheat crop failed, the people starved and nations fell.
Bad weather was not the only danger to wheat. An enemy may very well have damaged the fields of a rival power. One of the most common weeds to grow among wheat is darnell. This weed is often called cockle or tares. It resembles wheat in its early stages of growth. So, like the parable states, had the servants attempted to gather the weeds while the wheat was immature, much wheat would be lost. Only at harvest could they separate the good from the bad. But, darnell has another property that our Lord’s listeners would have known. If it was not removed, and its grains were ground with the wheat, the bread made would be toxic and hallucinogenic. Darnell caused madness and poisonings. This was the reason an enemy might sow darnell in his rival’s field. That is not the only danger of wheat. If the mature grain is not properly stored, it can develop ergot fungus, which is also hallucinogenic... it is a natural form of LSD.
Many of the ghost stories, tales of witchcraft, curses and enchantment and such, were likely due to the very bread that people depended on for survival. It is also true that pagan peoples used such hallucinogens in their religious ceremonies and for divination. The hallucinogenic state makes one very susceptible to demonic possession. Our Lord’s parables regarding sowing good seed and how a wholesome crop may be spoiled by evil influence were very understandable warnings about the spiritual life. There is also significance in that He is the Bread of Heaven – the good bread that nourishes and is trustworthy.
The Protestant heresy of “Once saved always saved” is entirely untrue. Many Christians receive the seed of faith and the Word of God, only for it to be lost due to sin, discouragement in times of difficulty and the business of life. The enemy is constantly trying to ruin the crop sown by our Lord. The mustard seed mentioned in the other parable is not common garden mustard, but a tree that was native to His region (Salvadora persica). This “mustard tree” was an evergreen; evergreens often symbolize eternal life. In order for our tiny mustard seeds of faith to grow into great trees, we must cultivate them through prayer and the Sacraments, and not allow them to be ruined by sin.
Judson Carroll is the author of several books, including his newest, A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings July - December, 2026 It is Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GRGY1D15
A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings January - June, 2026 It is also available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GDK16N45
and
Confirmation, an Autobiography of Faith: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47Q1JNK
His podcast is The Uncensored Catholic https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-uncensored-catholic
Beautiful work, sir. Like Al said, your herbal knowledge shines through very clearly here. My pastor grew up on a farm and studied agriculture science at college, so he gave us some info about types of soil, nutrient balances, etc. Knowledge like that really helps bring out Christ's parables. I didn't know what exactly tares are, or that improperly-stored wheat can be toxic, or that mustard doesn't refer to ordinary mustard. Thanks for writing this!
Spoken like a true herbalist! Thanks Judson