“The Church should not discriminate”

 

17^th week (Mt. 13:47-50)

I.                   The Parable

-         Here, the lesson of the parable is, just as the fisherman using a dragnet will catch all kinds of fish and only afterwards proceed to the sorting.

-         So also the Kingdom of God embraces all kinds of men, and only at the end time, does discrimination take place. And God will be the one to do the discrimination, the sorting out.

-         The same thing with the Church.  The Church should embrace all kinds of men, sinners or saints, herself being the sacrament of Salvation in the world as Vatican II says.

-         And while in the world, the Church should remain indiscriminating.  And only God at the end time will discriminate.  Not the Church, but only God.

II.               The Gospel

-         So here in the Gospel, Jesus tells us, the Church must bear in her womb the best and the worst of men.  God will sort them out in his own good time.

-         The role of the Church is to purify herself, sanctify all her members, and invite all men to join in with her. But to judge men would be presumptuous on her part.

III.           Conclusion

-      Again the role of the Church is not to discriminate or judge.  It belongs to God.  The role of the Church is to teach people what is morally acceptable and what is morally unacceptable.