The Purpose of Parables

Today's Reflections

The Purpose of Parables

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Mt 13:10-17

¹⁰The disciples approached [Jesus] and said, “Why do you speak to [the crowd] in parables?” ¹¹He 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. ¹²To 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. ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables, because ‘they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.’ ¹⁴Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:/ ‘You shall indeed hear but not understand,/ you shall indeed look but never see./ ¹⁵Gross 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.’

¹⁶“But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. ¹⁷Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Reflection:

To anyone who has, more will be given. God always provides. God offers. But, in human terms, God can recall what God gives. As we open our eyes to God and listen to God’s Word, God will give us more knowledge and more understanding about the divine. But if we refuse to accept God and continue to be blind to God’s ways, we will be lost and will miss all of God’s grace-filled opportunities.

God always offers us chances to believe and to accept him. God gives us possibilities to know him more and his ways. We only have to open our hearts to perceive these. Our response is to look up to God and listen with love to God’s call and follow God’s ways.

Do we open our eyes, ears, and hearts to God?

Do we see God’s loving intervention in our lives?

How do we respond to this?