Turn over to the Lord

Today’s Gospel Text:  Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 "Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil; 6 and when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold." 9 And he said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

10 And when he was alone, those who were about him with the twelve asked him concerning the parables. 11 And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables; 12 so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven." 13 And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown; when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which is sown in them. 16 And these in like manner are the ones sown upon rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17 and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns; they are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world, and the delight in riches, and the desire for other things, enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown upon the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold." Mark 4:1-20

Reflection: If only people knew that the secrets that are revealed concerning the parables can continue to remain secrets despite the explanation.

That’s because we confuse between knowing and understanding. What we know now, through the explanation which Jesus gives is not the same as understanding them.

If by now you are already feeling confused, then it is an indication of the mental state in which we are which refuses to understand as it is to be understood; for what the mind prefers is that understanding which is knowing and hence not really understanding as it is to be understood. 

To understand is a painful process involving a dying of ourselves. 

Our power of understanding gets further developed in the light of the wisdom of God, in his presence, when Christ Jesus removes the scales of blindness.

Hence, when we learn theology and even become a master with a doctorate, what we actually gain is merely knowledge unless the scales are removed from our eyes by God’s mercy at work through all who believe in him and his love.

Hence asserting this truth, St. Paul writes thus: “Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their minds; but when a man turns to the Lord the veil is removed.” 2 Cor 3:15-16

Now a man who lacks understanding may say; “that is meant for the Jews and not to us.” 

Certainly true that this word is concerning the Jews but equally valid to us who behave either like them or even worse than them by not turning to the Lord; the only means to come out of our dullness of understanding. 

Prayer: Lord, help me to train my mind to turn to you, even when I study or learn the things of you and thus learn of you.

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us