GOSPEL READING:
Matthew 13:10-1710 Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" 11 And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: `You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive. 15 For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.' 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
Meditation: Do you want to grow in your knowledge of
God? Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) once said: "I believe,
in order to understand; and I understand, the better to believe."
Both faith and understanding are gifts of the Holy Spirit that
enable us to hear God's word with clarity so we can know God
better and grow in the knowledge of his love and truth. Jesus,
however, had to warn his disciples that not everyone would
understand his teaching.
Closed hearts - prejudiced minds
The prophet Isaiah had warned that some would hear God's word, but
not believe, some would see God's actions and miracles, and remain
unconvinced. Ironically some of the greatest skeptics of Jesus'
teaching and miracles were the learned scribes and Pharisees who
prided themselves on their knowledge of Scripture, especially on
the law of Moses. They heard Jesus' parables and saw the great
signs and miracles which he performed, but they refused to accept
both Jesus and his message. How could they "hear and never
understand" and "see but never perceive"? They were spiritually
blind and deaf because their hearts were closed and their minds
were blocked by pride and prejudice. How could a man from Galilee,
the supposed son of a carpenter, know more about God and his word,
than these experts who devoted their lives to the study and
teaching of the law of Moses?
The humble of heart receive understanding
There is only one thing that can open a closed, confused, and
divided mind - a broken heart and humble spirit! The worddisciple means one who is
willing to learn and ready to submit to the wisdom and truth which
comes from God. Psalm 119 expresses the joy and delight of a
disciple who loves God's word and who embraces it with trust and
obedience. "Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the
day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is
ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for
your testimonies are my meditation." (Psalm 119:97-99)
Listen with reverence and faith
God can only reveal the secrets of his kingdom to the humble and
trusting person who acknowledges their need for God and for his
truth. The parables of Jesus will enlighten us if we approach them
with an open mind and heart, ready to let them challenge us. If we
approach God's word with indifference, skepticism, and disbelief,
then we, too, may "hear but not understand" and "see but not
perceive." God's word can only take root in a receptive heart that
is ready to believe and willing to submit. If we want to hear and
to understand God's word, we must listen with reverence and faith.
Do you believe God's word and do you submit to it with trust and
reverence?
Jerome, an early church bible
scholar who lived between 342-419 AD, wrote: "You are reading
[the Scriptures]? No.Your betrothed is talking to you. It is
your betrothed, that is, Christ, who is united with you. He
tears you away from the solitude of the desert and brings you
into his home, saying to you, 'Enter into the joy of your
Master.'"
Holy Spirit, be my teacher and guide. Open my ears to hear God's word and open my eyes to understand God's action in my life. May my heart never grow dull and may my ears never tire of listening to the voice of Christ.
Psalm 36:5-10
5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God, your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD.
7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.
10 O continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your salvation to the upright of heart!
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Ears that refuse to hear, by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD)
"Faith perceives the mysteries of the kingdom. A person will make
progress in those things he has been immersed in and will abound
with an increase in that progress. But in those things he has not
been immersed in, even that which he has shall be taken away from
him. In other words, he suffers the loss of the law from the loss
of his faith. Lacking faith, the people of the law lost even the
efficacy of the law. Therefore, gospel faith receives a perfect
gift, because it enriches with new fruit those things that have
been undertaken. But once it is rejected, even the help of one's
former means of support is taken away. (excerpt
from a commentary ON MATTHEW 13.2)
