Too often we want to separate ourselves; we want to uphold some self-determined sense of purity. Matthew 13 seems to warn us against such. The kingdom gathers in all kinds. It is only at the "close of the age" that any separating occurs. Then, it is the angels who do the work.
The horrific events in Paris have led many to embark upon intense attempts to do our own sorting. There are cries for excluding those whose only association with the perpetrators is having at one time lived in the same region of the world (the very reason these persons are fleeing!) We all deserve and desire safety, but not at the expense of shutting the gates and leaving the innocent on the outside.
Jesus reminds his followers that choosing his way isn't always going to be easy. One of the tough aspects of his way is refusing to hate and to blame and to retaliate. If ever the followers of Jesus need to be more like Jesus, it is now. In the face of the hatred and blame and violence unleashed in Paris, Jesus' followers must model Jesus' way. It isn't going to be easy. But easy isn't what was promised us.
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