OK – so I’ll borrow from today’s homily: choices. After Jesus tells the parables, he asks “Do you understand these things?” and the disciples answer “yes.” And Jesus tells them they must make a choice. We were then challenged: When will you own your own Christianity? (and not come to church because someone else thinks you should)… Will you make the choice to take ownership of your faith. (apologies Jack, if I got this all wrong)
Oh, but I so often, just when I think I could answer “Yes, I understand” it’s really that I don’t understand. If I’d really understood, I’m not sure I’d have gotten married, or had my first child. It would have scared me too much to go through with being baptized (I was 13) had I understood more than I did. It would have been beyond me to say “yes” if I’d had that much understanding before I stepped out and took action.
Of late, the scriptures have touched me in ways that make me understand that I just didn’t understand before. That’s kind of scary, because, if I follow the logic, then I probably don’t understand yet… or rather, I will likely come to a new understanding as I follow this walk. I’m beginning to appreciate that all I can understand is that a “Yes” means only that I understand that what comes next will work to good without any real comprehension of what might be required of me.
And so, I sat this morning and wondered just what those disciples thought they understood. And, what did they think later when they reflected on the choice they made?