HE NO LONGER SPEAKS "CHINESE"

Thursday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time
Mt 13:47-53

If we do not do our daily scripture reading and reflection, we will not notice something different in the Gospel today. We will easily jump into conclusion that just like the Gospel readings the past days, today speaks about the Kingdom of God again. We will also simply say, “There you go again, another parable….”

But there is something different in the Gospel today: the disciples say they understand the parable! While in the past days, the Lord had to enlighten the disciples, today the disciples seem to bask in daylight. The Lord asks them, “Have you understood all this?” The disciples give Him a resounding “Yes!” Huh, finally, they got what He means! But how come?

No doubt, understanding the Kingdom of God is a gift of God in itself. The Kingdom of God is simply beyond human comprehension. However, the use of parables may bridge the gap between the immense Kingdom of God and the puny mind of man. And the closer the parable is to the actual life situation of its hearers the lesser the gap between the Kingdom of God and the human mind.

The past days, the parables were about a farmer, about the good seed and about the weeds among the wheat. But today it is about a dragnet cast into the sea. Now, for the disciples who are mostly fishermen, that rings a bell! Jesus is no longer talking “Chinese”. He speaks their language. The parable comes across because it is closer to home.

There is an important lesson to be learnt here by preachers like me. Speak the language of your people. Use examples closer to home. Talk about them, not only to them. Otherwise, the good seed may fall not only along the pathway or on rocky ground or among thorns but also on deaf ears. But the dragnet will always catch fishers of men.