August 3, 2023
Tọzde of di Seventeenth Week for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Listen for English
“Una understand all dis things?” Dem answer, “Yes.” And He reply, “Then every scribe wey dem don teach about di Kingdom of heaven be like di head of one family wey dey bring both new things and old things come out from im storeroom.” Matthew 13:51–52
Sometimes, Jesus words dey hard to understand. How well you understand wetin He dey teach you? Many times, He dey use figures of speech and parables teach. Di passage wey we quote above end one section where He tell three parables, one after another. Di third one, di parable about fishing net, dey for di beginning of today Gospel passage. But just before dat parable, He tell di parables about di pearl wey get great value and di treasure wey dem bury for one field. After Jesus finish dis three parables, He ask Im disciples, “Una understand all dis things?” After dem confirm say dem understand, Jesus give dem general picture of di mission wey He don put for their hand. Dis men wey go soon become bishop dem go become di new scribe dem wey dem don teach about di Kingdom of Heaven. Their mission go be to bring both di “new and di old” come out.
Plenty Fada dem of di Church understand di “new and di old” to mean di Old Testament and di New Testament. So, Jesus dey put di mission for di hand of di Twelve to be di scribe dem of di full revelation wey dey inside wetin go later become di complete Bible as we get am today. Other people wey dey explain Scripture suggest say di “old” mean di old life of sin, and di “new” mean di new life of grace. Di mission of di Twelve go be to teach people di full Gospel message, so dat dem go draw dem comot from their old life of sin enter di new life of grace.
Even though Jesus words fit hard to understand from di angle of person wey study Bible deeply, di first words wey He talk for di quotation above clear well-well. “Una understand all dis things?” As we dey think deeply about dis particular question, try hear our Lord dey ask you dat question. Even though plenty people wey study Scripture and saints of old don help make di true meaning of Jesus teachings clear well-well, each of us must answer di question wey Jesus ask di Twelve for way wey concern us personally. As you hear Jesus dey ask you whether you understand dis things, di answer wey you give no depend mainly on whether you don study di words of Im teaching well enough and fit explain am with sound reasoning like person wey study am deeply. Instead, di answer wey He dey look for na whether you fit answer from faith. He want make you talk say, “Yes, Lord, I hear You dey talk to me. Yes, di words wey You don talk don convince my heart. Yes, I understand wetin I must do. Yes, Lord, I believe.” Di Word of God dey alive, and na only when we allow our Living Lord talk to each of us personally, as we dey listen to Im holy Word, we fit “understand” am well.
Today, think deeply about dis question wey Jesus ask di Twelve. As you dey do so, hear Am dey ask you dis question. How fully you understand wetin God dey tell you right now, for dis moment of your life? As you dey read di Scriptures, you dey sense say God dey reveal Himself to you? You understand wetin He want from you? If to hear di voice of God dey hard sometimes, then spend more time dey pray and think deeply about Im holy Word, so dat Im Living Voice go sound more clearly inside your soul.
My Lord wey dey reveal Yourself, You dey talk to me day and night, and You dey always reveal Your love and mercy to me. Make I learn to pay more attention to Your voice wey dey speak deep inside my soul. As I dey hear You speak, abeg give me di gift of understanding, so dat I go know Your will and accept am with all my heart. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Di main picture above: Di Headship of Saint Peter by James Tissot, through Wikimedia Commons
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