“Hearing, knowing and discovering Jesus!”

(Based on Exod 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20b and Mt 13:10-17 – Thursday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

Let’s begin our reflection today with one verse prior..

Jesus in Mt 13:9 says, “He who has ears, let him hear!”

Two ones are two

Two twos are four
Two threes are six
Two fours are eight
Two fives are ten….

Remember having learnt the multiplication table by constant, loud repeating until you knew them by heart?

When we hear what we say, it gets into our heart….

It’s vital to hear well, so that it gets drilled into our heart!

It is interesting to notice how the Bible often uses some part of the human body to make an important spiritual observation or illustrate an principal Biblical truth…
… as does this verse: “He who has ears, let him hear!”

“God has given us two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we talk.”

The Bible talks in many places about this very practical and crucial habit of listening.

Jesus, the teacher-par-excellence, reminds His listeners to become aware of the Importance of hearing…
… and hearing it fully and well!

Jesus lived in times when technological advancements were still a distant reality.

Memory Chips, Recording Devices, Video Capturing Units were nowhere in use.

To communicate a message and instill it in the memory of the people was not an easy task….

But Jesus is the great illustrator – the Master Story Teller!

He loved to use common and practical examples to get His point through…

He would see the field…
… and proclaim the Parable of the Sower and related parables….

He would see the sheep…
… and enlighten with the Parable of the Good Shepherd…

He would see the vineyard…
… and impart the Parable of the Vineyard…

He would see the many day-to-day items…
… and convey the Parables of the Mustard Seed, the Salt, the Light, the Leaven, the Hidden Treasure, the Lost Coin….etc….

Jesus painted pictures in the minds of His listeners – a classical artist indeed!

But why Parables?

Jesus says, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven has been granted to you, but not to them!” (Mt 13:11)…
… and quotes Isaiah, “they look but they do not see and hear but do not listen or understand!” (Mt 13:14)

Is Jesus wanting to keep the people away from believing?

Certainly No!

Let us look to Prophet Isaiah to get clarity on this verse…

Prophet Isaiah was ridiculed and mocked by his listeners for being too plain and simple in his message!

His critics in fact, even accuses him of talking childish language.. “Who is it he is trying to teach? To whom is he explaining his message? To children weaned from their milk, to those just taken from the breast??” ( Is 28:9)

And despite this simple and plain talk, his listeners failed to listen…
… they became hard-hearted!

And it is in answer to this cold response, that He encountered from people especially the Pharisees, that Jesus quotes prophet Isaiah, “You shall indeed hear but not understand.. you shall indeed look, but never see!”

What a pity…
… when we hear, and yet pretend not to have heard!
What a tragedy…
… when we see, and act as if we are blind!

It happens all too often in our lives too…

Smoking is dangerous to health…
… but people still puff up their lives in smoke!
Drinking is harmful to good living…
… but people melt away their lives down the drain!
Seat belts and helmets save lives…
… but people don’t use and risk their lives in accidents & disasters!

We know…
… yet we fail to act

We see…
… yet we are blind

We hear…
… yet we are deaf!

Our conscience acts similar….

The first time we do something we know is wrong, we feel a stab, warning us…
The next time we do the same wrong thing, the stab becomes a little less intense….
But if we continue in this way, our conscience becomes deadened and we no longer feel any guilt at all…

As Jesus spoke Parables to unbelievers, they resisted His message and their hearts became more hardened!

To those who are open to the truth and those who are spiritually eager…
… the Parables are a great teaching.
To those closed in their minds and inflated in pride… the Parables are mere kids stories to be discarded!

Jesus wants us to hear…and know..and discover Him!

Am I really hearing?

Am I really seeing?
Am I really open to discover the Divine Truths?

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
LIFE IN CHRIST
Catechesis for the “newness of life” in him should be:

• a catechesis of the Christian virtues of faith, hope, and charity, generously inspired by the example of the saints
• a catechesis of the twofold commandment of charity set forth in the Decalogue
• an ecclesial catechesis, for it is through the manifold exchanges of “spiritual goods” in the “communion of saints” that Christian life can grow, develop, and be communicated. (CCC # 1697)