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The
disciples
approached Jesus and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables? He
said to them in reply, "Because knowledge of the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been
granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is
why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and
hear but do not listen or understand. Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in
them, which says: 'You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall
indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will
hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see
with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their
heart and be converted and I heal them.' But blessed are your eyes,
because they see, and your ears, because they hear."
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"So many people gonna say that they want
you to try to
get you thinking they really care; I’m in love with a girl, who
knows me
better. Someone [who] understands, and she knows how to treat a fella
right, give me that feeling every night, wants to make love when I
wanna
fight. Now, someone understand me: I’m
in love with a girl. The heart can’t
erase once it finds a place to be warm and welcome, to be held in
shelter."
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As
he preached, Jesus knew that parables or stories were the way to gain
attention. He also knew that since his stories demanded reflection for
understanding, only those who were prepared to explore their meanings
could truly understand. To understand is a gift of God. It is granted
to
anyone who wants it, and unfortunately, as Jesus pointed out, there
were people who did
not desire to understand.
It is the same with romantic relationships. Many go into them looking for the chance to feel good or for some temporary respite from the boredom of life. But the essence of the relationship lies in understanding, that is, when both parties really want to know the other. When the desire to understand is not present, there can be no relationship. Gavin DeGraw sings of that in his song "In Love with a Girl," singing that many people will try to make you think that they care, but only those who understand really do. Understanding, whether one is speaking of the essence of life as Jesus was, or romantic love as the love songs of our world do, is an essential ingredient of true living. It can be defined simply as a desire to recognize the situation with the accompanying desire to do something about it. If I "understand" another, I will recognize the person as important and not just an "object" to make me feel good, and further, I will want to help such a person be what he/she wants to be. For the Christian, "understanding" will be part of every close relationship, whether romantic or otherwise, because the follower of Jesus who spoke a doctrine of love, will always recognize the true importance of another. |
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THOUGHT
In your opinion, what
are the characteristics of someone who "understands" another?
PRAYER Good
and gracious
God, your Son called for us to understand. He wanted us to understand
You and Your Kingdom and truly understand others. Give us the grace to
recognize your importance in our lives, as well as to recognize the
importance of others. Be with us, we pray.
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©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |