For this Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, we continue our journey with Jesus and his disciples through the Gospel of Matthew and follow Jesus’ call to discipleship. We see how people respond to the order to wear face masks during this pandemic. We notice how people treat people who are different than them. Racism raises its ugly face. We can’t help but ask why is there evil in the world? In the parable of the wheat and the weeds Jesus suggests that both grow together until the harvest. Having both weeds and wheat within us, we humbly place our hope in the promises of God, and from the Lord’s table we go forth to minister and to bear the fruits of justice, mercy, and peace. How have you handled the weeds in your life? How have you experienced the fruits of Jesus’ spirit?