Experiencing Jesus - A Reflection on Luke 13:18-21


He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

And again he said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

 

In Shakespeare’s famous eighteenth Sonnet, the protagonist asks his lover, “Shall I compare thee to a summer day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate”. We can sense his struggle, trying to describe what he feels, when the thing he feels is actually beyond description. When something is “more” than the most you can compare it to, what words can you use to describe it? In today’s passage, as Jesus tries to describe the kingdom of God, we sense a similar struggle. He asks twice: “To what should I compare the kingdom of God?” 

            

There are several reasons for this struggle. One is that there is simply nothing that can compare to the kingdom of God. Elsewhere, Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven to treasure found in a field and a pearl that a merchant found (see Matthew 13:44-45). It is described as more precious than everything we own. But how much MORE precious? How many MORE times in value? He cannot say, because there IS nothing in THIS world that can be compared to it. 

            

The other reason Jesus might struggle to explain the kingdom of God to us is because we choose not to understand. Our minds so full of the knowledge of this world that we cannot make room for the knowledge of God? We cannot fill a cup that is already full, and we cannot teach someone who does not want to learn — no amount of examples and comparisons will turn on the light switch in minds that want to remain in the dark! 

            

The third possible reason for Jesus’ struggle is one that we are all familiar with. How does one explain an experience? When we visit the Grand Canyon or the Taj Mahal, we are blown away by the beauty before us. The person who stands besides us will understand as we marvel at these wonders, but if we were to try ‘explaining’ the experience to someone back home, they might smile and say, “Wow!”, but you know they don’t know what you’re talking about! They can’t.

            

Some of us have discovered the kingdom of God. Some of us have experienced Jesus in a real way, but try as we might, we cannot explain it to others because it has to be experienced for oneself. How do we know if we truly have experienced Jesus? Quite simply, our lives with reflect his, and everything we do will be done with love, mercy, and graciousness because we have experienced this for ourselves. If we haven’t experienced him, let us open our hearts and minds to him today. It is all that is really needed.

            

And we will discover the kingdom of heaven.

 

Watch a video of this reflection by Aneel Aranha here: https://youtu.be/Zkpw1lDgnHU

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Let’s Get Healed - A Reflection on Matthew 18:21-19:1

Image
  Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me...
Read more

Patience - A Reflection on Luke 2:33-35.

Image
  And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”   This is probably the shortest passage that we have reflected upon this year. In it, we find a man named Simeon making a prophecy about three things. One, about Jesus. Two, about the people of Israel. And three, about the pain that Jesus’ mother Mary would go through. We have seen all his prophecies came true. But who is Simeon? And what can we learn from him? Ok. On the 40th day of his birth, Jesus is taken by Mary and Joseph to the temple to be officially inducted into the Jewish faith. When they were there, a man named Simeon came in to see them.   He is described as “righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Isr...
Read more

Dying and Killing

  The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.” Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’—and the scripture cannot be annulled— can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earl...
Read more