The Storyteller

Many of us live today in a consumer culture where we are constantly called to accumulate material goods, to have more and more things that make our lives easier, to pursue a life of ease and comfort.  In such a culture it’s difficult for us to hear the message of the gospel.  It’s difficult because the gospel message is contrary to the message of the culture in which we live.  The gospel message calls us to hardship and sacrifice rather than to ease and comfort.  In my gospel reflection today (Matthew 13:10-17), I found a particular example of the difficulties involved in following the message and teaching of Jesus.

The difficulty in hearing and following the gospel message is not new.  The crowds who listened to Jesus during His public life here on earth had the same difficulties.  They found it hard to open their minds and hearts to hear and understand the words of Jesus.  And when they did listen, they found difficult the things that Jesus asked of them.  We hear the disciples ask Jesus why He speaks to the crowds in parables.  It’s a good question; one that they were curious to know the answer to.  It’s the kind of question that I think I would have asked had I been there.  So much of what Jesus told the crowds was conveyed by parables that it seems reasonable to ask the Lord why He spoke in parables.  The answer of Jesus highlights the difference between the disciples and the rest of the crowd who followed Jesus.

The disciples saw Jesus as their Master, and they listened to His word.  As they spent more and more time with Jesus, they began to understand who He really is, and why He was with them.  The people in the crowd, on the other hand, were following Jesus because of the miraculous things He had done and in the hope of themselves witnessing miracles.  They were more focused on what Jesus did than on who He is or on listening to what He said.  And so, Jesus worked differently with them than with the disciples.  With the disciples Jesus was a professor, teaching and instructing them about Himself and His mission.  With the people in the crowds, Jesus was a storyteller.  He led them simply and slowly by means of stories and parables that demonstrated a certain truth.  The disciples were more advanced students, the people in the crowd were beginners.  Jesus proceeded in way that was appropriate to each group.

I think that it’s important to remember that Jesus came into the world for the salvation of all of the people He met.  That includes the disciples and the people in the crowds as well.  Jesus wanted all of them to be saved.  In the same way, Jesus wants all people who listen to His messages today to be saved.  Whether we’re students like the disciples or beginners like the people in the crowds, Jesus wants us to listen to Him and hear Him and follow Him.   The message of Jesus is tailored to each of us and our abilities, but His message is for all of us.  We only have to listen.

There have been many disciples of Christ who listened, and today is the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, who is a prime example of whom Jesus is calling.

Mary Magdalene was the first person to see Jesus after His crucifixion.  She was the one who remained close to Jesus through His passion and stood beside Mary, His mother and John, the beloved disciple at the foot of the cross.  While many of the other disciples were afraid and remained within locked doors, Mary Magdalene wasn’t afraid to venture out in the early morning while it was still dark to go visit the tomb where Jesus was laid.  Even though she failed to recognize Jesus in the person—she thought He was a gardener—her story is one that’s filled with hope, something that we so desperately need these days.  Thinking that the body of Jesus had been stolen she was filled with grief but yet she was persistent in seeking Jesus out: “Sir….tell me where you laid him?”  Her pain and sorrow blinded her from seeing Jesus but she was still able to recognize His voice as He called her name “Mary” and she responded “Rabbouni.”  (John 20:1-18)

In our moments of grief, perhaps the loss of a loved one, or, having a debilitating disease or illness, or losing our job, our eyes can be blinded by our pain and sorrow.  We might fail to see God in our lives, perhaps even feeling that He might have abandoned us.  But like Mary, we need to continue to be persistent in our faith, to never give up seeking God.  Then, like the sheep recognizing the voice of the shepherd (John 10:1-18), like Mary recognizing the voice that called her name, we become aware of God who never abandoned us, who was and is with us through our pain and sorrow, who rejoices with us in our moments of joy, who strengthens us in our moments of weakness.  And then, like Mary we can say “I have seen the Lord.”