15th Sunday OT
Fr. Philip Neri Powell, OP
OLR, NOLA
I
failed algebra twice in high school and once in college. In every
other subject in high school and college both I did just fine.
English, history, and philosophy were simple. . .compared to algebra.
I managed – finally – to pass college algebra with a C+ by
memorizing the formulas and using them mechanically. I understood
literature. I understood the flow of history. I understood
philosophical arguments. I could not understand the quadratic
equation. To save my soul, the souls of my family and friends, the
souls of the whole nation – I simply could not “get” algebra.
And I still can't. I memorized the equations and mechanically applied
them, having no clue how or why they worked. No doubt the sufferings
of my poor teachers sprung many a soul from purgatory in those years.
What I know now that I didn't know then is that “understanding”
takes more than “knowing that” and “knowing how.”
Understanding – true understanding – is knowledge put to work,
lived out, lived with. The disciples ask Jesus why he teaches the
crowds with parables. Jesus answers: “. . .they
look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.”
Looking is not seeing; hearing is not listening. Seeing and listening
to the Word of God are gifts given to us for our salvation.
Some
in the crowds have not yet received the gifts of seeing and
listening. So, Jesus defends his use of parables in teaching on the
grounds that there are some there who have not been granted knowledge
of the kingdom's mysteries. Why don't these people have the knowledge
required to see and listen? Jesus, quoting Isaiah 6, says, “Gross
is the heart of this people.” He's recalling the orders that God
gives Isaiah regarding His people, “Make the heart of this people
sluggish, dull
their ears and close their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, and
hear with their ears, and their heart understand. . .” The sluggish
hearts of God's people refused to be moved by punishment, admonition,
argument, or exile. They closed their eyes to miracles and their ears
to prophecy. God orders Isaiah to let them languish in blindness and
deafness “until the cities are desolate, without inhabitants,
Houses, without people, and the land is a desolate waste.” In other
words, God will allow His people to live with the consequences of
their ignorance and disobedience until all that they have is
destroyed. This is not another
punishment, but a
hard call to repentance and conversion. Isaiah is sent to make sure
the message is crystal clear: repent, return to obedience, and be
healed.
For
those in the crowd who have received the gifts of seeing and
listening, Jesus' message is crystal clear. For those with a heart
open to the Word and a mind ready for the Truth, his parables are
instructions for living a holy life. The seed of the Word flourishes
in fertile soil. Rocks, sand, thorns, a blazing sun – all destroy
the seed before it can take root. The seed of the Word cannot take
root in a heart divided btw the Gospel and the World, in a heart that
beats for Self Alone. The seed of the Word cannot flourish in a heart
choked with anger, vengeance, malice, or pride. It cannot grow
surrounded by self-righteousness, gossip, obscenity, or vicious
habit. A disobedient heart cannot listen to the Father's offer of
mercy, nor can it see the truth of His love. The parable comes into
razor-sharp focus when the disobedient heart turns from sin and
listens again to the wisdom of Christ: “. . .the seed sown on rich
soil is the one who hears the word and understands it.” And the
one who understands “bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or
thirtyfold.”
Earlier
I noted that I finally managed to pass college algebra with a C+ by
memorizing the formulas and applying them mechanically. I did not
understand algebra then, and I still don't. What I have come to
understand is that our faith is not algebra. We cannot simply
memorize the formulas and apply them mechanically. Faith is trust and
trust must be lived – openly, freely, generously – with God and
one another. That means taking some risks, perhaps some dangerous
risks, but always risking with the assurance that whatever God has in
the works for us it's for our eternal best. Memorized formulas and
mechanical applications got me through algebra. . .that's b/c algebra
is the sort of thing that just needs to be done not necessarily
understood. Your relationship with the Father through Christ is a
living relationship that requires tending – like a healthy garden
or a growing child. It needs attention. It needs loving care. Left
alone, your relationship with God will grow stale; it will grow
“gross,” sluggish, and you will be left wondering why the
abundant graces you once enjoyed are so scarce of late. Receive the
gifts of seeing and listening so that the Word of God might be a
constant sight and source of wisdom and inspiration for you. Put that
wisdom into daily practice so that you can come to understand –
truly understand – the faith you profess. Christ is asking you, me,
all of us to become the good ground that yields a fruitful harvest!
Follow HancAquam or Subscribe ----->
