Gospel Reading for July 24, 2025 – Matthew 13: 10-17
TRULY DIFFERENT
The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?” He said to them in reply, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand. Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts
and be converted and I heal them.
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
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Good question: “Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?”
Jesus’ teaching style is TRULY DIFFERENT from the so-called teachers of the Law during his time. He knew how to use literary genre, making his listeners think and ponder on his parables for them to hear what they should hear and see what they should see on their own. He was not the type to say, “you should not … you should,” thus, teaching them to contemplate, and in a way teaching them to pray and connect with God in their daily lives. If Jesus were with us today, he would have used socmed so very well!
Jesus’ teaching style also encourages people to be good or to change their wrong ways because he did not accuse them of being sinners (except the Pharisees who he called “hypocrites” because of their hardness of heart). As a matter of fact, he treated with understanding and mercy, publicly known sinners, encouraging them to change.
Lord Jesus, may our lives be always attuned to your teachings by listening and seeing with our hearts!
