Day 3: Mat. 13-18 Opening Reflection

            Parables…Today’s prescribed text leads us into the parables.  The parables were used by Jesus and the text says that he used parables so that the people listening could not understand – he was willing to give some people the secrets and keep them form others.  This is a difficult way in looking at Jesus – someone that would intentionally deprive you.  Who is this Jesus character?  When the text is read literally and we remove our preconceived notion of Jesus being ALL GOOD, Jesus is presented as a deceiver in the use of his parables, a sexist and an elitist in his role in the story of the woman with a possessed daughter because looking at it from a contemporary sense – he ignored this woman’s most sincere plea and on top of that calling a woman a dog in today’s society is equated to basically calling a woman a B…

On the other hand Jesus is also portrayed as the Christ, the Savior, a cross-bearer, a leader, son of God, a healer, a teacher, a miracle worker, a provider, a safe hold for us to step on in troubled water, a collection of answers, a discerner of people’s heart and situations, a scientist, a doctor, a lawyer, a sanitation worker, a mortician, an orthopedic surgeon, a chef, a mariner, but amongst all these titles – Jesus is an entity that can be challenged , tested and questioned but moreover an entity who’s mind can be CHANGED!!!

            How do you change the Lord’s mind? SHOW THE LORD YOUR FAITH!!!

Just like the Disciples we often wonder how Jesus was able to do things that we are not able to do, why things don’t always work out like we want, and why we are unable to accomplish certain task that seem so attainable – is it that we are like the Disciples and the Lord is looking at us and still saying But You of Little Faith?

            How can you work on being more faithful and what do you consider being faithful?