Scripture: Job 20; Mark 3-4
Mark 4:10-13
When they were off by themselves, those who were close to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the stories. He told them, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom—you know how it works. But to those who can’t see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them toward receptive insight. These are people—Whose eyes are open but don’t see a thing,
Whose ears are open but don’t understand a word,
Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven.”He continued, “Do you see how this story works? All my stories work this way.
Observations: I spend a lot of time interpreting stories from Scripture for other people as well as myself. I often worry when people don’t get the stories. But I remember that I’m not always quick on the draw. Sometimes, my eyes are open, but I don’t see a thing; my ears are open, but I don’t understand a word. I have been guilty of avoiding the about-face.
I also forget sometimes that everyone has a story; most have more than one. Jesus did say everything comes in stories, creating readiness, and nudging towards receptive insight. It is possible to use the stories of the people around us to expound upon the gospel of God’s grace.
Application: Be a better story-teller, but more importantly, be a better story-listener.
Prayer: Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit Divine. Amen.
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