Lukewarm Listeners
Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
My dear encountered couples:
You have heard it said and maybe have experienced it yourself. If a person has to work for something he appreciates it more when he gets it. Whereas when things are received easily as gifts they are often not appreciated nor valued. The spoiled child upon whom much has been lavished can grow up without a sense of value. Thus, it can also be in the spiritual realm.
Being born into the Faith can produce a lukewarm Christian who takes it all for granted and does not live the Faith. It is similar to taking our nationality for granted and not really appreciating being born into a free country.
Jesus often spoke in parables. He told them old stories with hidden meanings. For the person really interested in what he was teaching it became a challenge, something to set one thinking all day, or even for life. It was a teaching with a picture story that could be recalled anytime during life with a deeper depth of understanding continuously being revealed. Discovering the meaning on one’s own made the teaching more highly valued and gave the thinking person the wonderful feeling of accomplishment.
For people not interested in Jesus, he knew they would not believe him when he spoke plainly, coming right out with the point, a clear teaching. Anything was wasted on them. Bait the sincere, truth-searching person with a hidden meaning in a story and you’ve got a potential convert. Thus, he spoke in parables.
