One of the facts of life that sometimes feels uncomfortable these days is that we are not all equal. We don’t all have the same physical, mental or emotional strength. We don’t all grow up in homes with the same supportive, connected adults. Our neighborhoods are not all equally safe. We don’t all have access to the same food quality. We don’t have identical medical coverage. We don’t all have the same opportunity to be exposed to great, music, art and literature. Our educations are not identical. We aren’t all born with the same genetic predispositions to illnesses. We are not equal, and there is very little we can do about much of this.
Even with universal healthcare, some can afford to pay extra for the best care. And they do. Some pay for private schools, even when their tax dollars pay for the local public school. Some can afford the time and money to eat home prepared meals. Some must eat other options. Some people are brilliant at math and some at social connections. Some excel at book learning and testing while others are more hands on learners. We are not equal.
This inequality gets played out in every aspect of life. It is all pervasive and goes back in history to the time when there was one naked man and one naked woman and no shame was present. Once they chose rebellion rather than obedience, differences are amplified.
Jesus has told everyone (verse 3) to listen carefully. Everyone has the responsibility to do this. We can’t have casual relationship with the Truth. We are responsible to pay attention to what is being said. Our ears must be willing to hear. Our hearts must be ready to submit our beliefs to the Ultimate Authority. We are not omniscient. We don’t have full knowledge. Humility requires us to acknowledge this. Our perspective is limited. One final note: we are not the Final Authority!
The disciples take the opportunity when Jesus is alone with them, away from the crowds, to get a better understanding of this parable and parables in general. Only those who were closest received this insider explanation. The crowds did not. Not everything is equal.
Jesus quotes Isaiah the prophet in his response. In Isaiah’s day Israel had been given many chances to listen to the Truth and respond in obedient submission to the LORD’s will. The vast majority of them had rebelled, hardened their hearts to the Truth, and continued to reject God’s continued calls to repentance and reconciliation.
We see this same resistance to the Truth in Jesus’ day. The religious leaders had consistently rejected the Truth in favor of their lies. This rejection of Jesus hardened their hearts.
There is hardening of the heart happening today in our world, perhaps even in our lives. The only way to combat it is to see, to hear and to turn. We must give up our “all-knowing” position. If we find ourselves constantly pointing our verbal fingers at other people’s beliefs, perhaps it is time to examine our own. Our attitude reflects the attitude of our heart, either softened or hardened. Bitterness is a sure sign of hardening of the heart, as is an angry voice, written or spoken, toward those who disagree with us.
The Arnold Journey 