Our Gospel instructs us on the sifting of the cockle and the wheat. The issue with these two plants is that it is impossible to tell the two apart until they have begun to mature. Cockle is toxic to humans and when mixed with flour it will cause bread to ruin. A serious outbreak of cockle could cause one to lose their whole crop of wheat.
Heinrich Fullmaurer depicts this passage as a demon walking about a field placing the cockle seed among the wheat as everyone is fast sleep. Thus as time passes the two will begin to grow together and it will be impossible to tell them apart until the time of the harvest. It is here that the cockle will need to be separated from the wheat. In this depiction a woman is busy making bread which soon could unknowingly be threatened by this cockle. So too for us if we allow this cockle into our life for we too will we become threatened.
We now begin to journey towards the end of this liturgical year. With it we are reminded of the certainty of death and the need to order our life towards the Lord. The harvest is symbolic of Judgement where we will be judged either to Heaven or Hell. Death is something that we cannot escape, but we can and should order our life towards Heaven while here on earth. There are many who journey throughout this life without giving this notion a second thought to the detriment of their salvation.
If we are concerned with this coming judgment we must also remain on guard against false teachings which begin to blur the truth of faith and morals. Allowing cockle into our life may not seem to be important due to its ability to blend in, but it does effect our ability to love the Lord our God. The devil does not want unity of faith and thus he does everything in his power to cause division and uncertainty. We cannot give into such division and uncertainty, but must place our faith in the merciful hands of the Lord.
Saint John Chrysostom stated concerning the importance of this cockle: “For in order that not even this might disturb His disciples, He foretells it also, after having taught them why He speaks in parables. The former parable then means their not receiving Him; this, their receiving corrupters. For indeed this also is a part of the devil’s craft, by the side of the truth always to bring in error, painting thereon many resemblances, so as easily to cheat the deceivable. Therefore He calls it not any other seed, but tares; which in appearance are somewhat like wheat.”
Therefore, let us always stay on guard against the lies of the enemy. We must do all that we can to sustain the unity of faith and the truth of morals. Cockle comes into the picture in order to rip us away from such unity, but we must hold fast to maintain it. In this manner once the Harvest of the Lord comes and the cockle is separated from the wheat we will be found worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.
