THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 7:14-23
“’Are you so dull?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you see that…'” (Mark 7:18)
Here we see the problem with translation.
The actual word describes not being able to understand, or figure things out.
The words ‘are you so dull’ carry a connotation that does not sound like Jesus.
(But maybe that is my translation problem, maybe I want to shape it my way?)
Knowing Who Jesus is, how He came, suffered and died for us, shapes how I hear it.
Seeing how Jesus related to the poor, weak, sinners and the sick does as well.
Jesus is not the type to diminish a person’s value, though he does challenge us.
I hear Jesus saying to me as well, ‘can’t you figure things out?’
In other words, ‘think about it, think it through, you can see it if you try!’
Our problem is not that we can’t think, but too often we don’t think.
Maybe the disciples were becoming too passive in their learning.
They were becoming too dependent on Jesus to do the thinking for them.
This happens in church too, where we rely on someone to interpret the bible for us.
Jesus is inviting us to think with him, to seek and find understanding with His help.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, I need to think my life through, especially some attitudes and behaviours that are not helpful, but still seem to undermine my life. Help me not to be ‘so dull’.