I have a friend of mine with whom I went to high school. He is nasty to others, flips others off if they disagree with him, is mean to his wife, uses foul language, and more. None of this bothers me. I have come to expect this behavior from him. I have often spoken with him about Jesus, salvation, heaven, and hell. He doesn’t seem to care.

What he is watching is me—my words, my behavior, my reaction to the world, my jokes, and more. I can’t judge him, and I won’t judge him. Remember the plank in your eye story? The Jeremiah 7:1-11 reading today is all about how you treat others and our false gods and the consequences of straying from God’s word. Today’s gospel tells the parable of the weeds and the wheat growing together. Then God, in his sovereign authority, always has the punch line. The weeds are gathered and burned, and the wheat is bundled and brought into his barn.

Let us followers, disciples of Christ, realize that we are a representation of Jesus here on earth. I am living among plenty of weeds. I can’t change my friend, but Jesus can.

Father Eymard said it beautifully. “The gift of self is the supreme act of surrender.”

Let Us Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, help us love others and pray for others to have an encounter with Christ Jesus. In your precious name, Jesus. Amen.