July 24: Explanations / Explicaciones

In the 14th century, Julian of Norwich wrote that God revealed to her “a great thing which was to come…. But what the deed would be was kept secret from me…. I saw hidden in God an exalted and wonderful mystery, which He will make plain and we shall know in heaven.”

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There were times in His public ministry when Jesus preferred to leave His parables to speak for themselves or to do their work by themselves (as in Matthew 13, 10-17). Jesus, after all, appreciated the fact that, in spiritual matters, “explanations” generally do more harm than good. Did you know that the word “explain” means “flattened out?”

Sure, in our “information age” we want everything explained. But, often, when something is explained we lose interest in it – it loses its power to move us or challenge us to go deeper or appreciate it better. Aren’t there some things we should just leave in the hands of God? Can we carry on day after day trusting that all will be well, whether or not we know how?

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De vez en cuando en los Evangelios, Jesús se queja de que hay algunos que cierran su corazón a su mensaje de vida (Mateo 13, 10-17 por ejemplo). Su mensaje es sencillo. Buena parte de él se expresa en las historias conmovedoras de las parábolas. ¿Por qué no las entendemos? ¿Por qué pensamos que siempre necesitamos explicaciones? Porque somos volubles e inconstantes y vivimos con los ojos puestos en nosotros y en nuestros asuntos. O bien pensamos que somos demasiado instruidos y autosuficientes, por encima de los pequeños, de los humildes, de la gente sencilla, más receptiva a la palabra de Dios.

Jesús nos dice: “Benditos sus ojos porque ven, y sus oídos porque oyen.” Escuchemos y veamos al Señor con nuestro corazón. Y que Él nos bendiga abundantemente.