Devotion 

Do We See and Hear?

Frances Taylor 

Jesus spoke in parables to the people of his time as well as to us. Do we hear and understand what he is trying to tell us? We have heard and read the parable of the sower and the seed many times, and we have read the meaning of the parable as well so we understand what Jesus was saying. However, there are other parables such as the Workers in the Vineyard where everyone gets the same pay for very different amounts of work that sometimes make us shake our heads and wonder. The parables often speak of things we just don't have any experience with such as sowing seed, taking care of sheep, pruning vines, etc. Yes, those who live on farms understand, but those of us who are city-dwellers don't. However, we are meant to pay attention to the underlining truths. We learn from the sower, that we need to prepare our hearts to welcome God's word and continue to nurture it if we are to grow in our faith. From the workers, God is generous and sometimes we are not! I'm sure that each time we read the parables we learn something new, and that's what we're supposed to do. The important thing is to read and hear with eyes and ears of faith.

Prayer 

Lord, you have given us the ears to hear your word and understand your message. Sometimes you challenge us so that we might grow in our faith. Please send your Holy Spirit to be with us as we listen to your Word. Amen.