Jeremiah 14:17-22 / Matthew 13:36-43
Nobody likes to be punished, even if they deserve it.
And there is also the question of the value of punishment on those who are guilty.
Other than feeling the pain of the wrong that was done, the other thing could be that it would act as a deterrent.
In the first reading, the people of God were severely punished for their sinfulness and unfaithfulness to the Lord.
But it also must be said that they were given warning after warning, and prophets were sent to them to call for repentence.
But they did not heed the warnings and even persecuted and killed the prophets.
So God had to punish them severely enough to wake them up from their sinful stupidity.
But in the same first reading, God also expressed His pain over seeing His people being punished.
It is similar to the pain of a parent who had to punish his stubborn and rebellious child to wake him up.
In the gospel is the familiar parable of the wheat and the darnel, and also the obvious meaning of the judgement at the end of the world.
Yes, the subjects of the evil one must face their punishment.
But a thought would be how did they become subjects of the evil one?
At the end of the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah cried out for the sinful people:
O our God, you are our hope.
If we are Christian and virtuous enough, let us pray for those who are under the bondage of the evil one.
It is with our hope in the Lord our God that those subjects of the evil one will be converted and saved.