Matthew 13:10-12 NRSVue
10Then the disciples came and asked him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11He answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.
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Some thoughts on this scripture
Reflection
This apparently paradoxical statement is really an observation of life. Those
who have money easily make more – if they invest, it grows. Those who
practice a sport grow better at it. Those who use their brains grow brighter.
Those who are good to others develop habits of generosity. It is another
statement of the parable of the talents.
Reflection
What are you telling me, Lord? That by praying I come to know about prayer;
that I should use everything I have, both in possessions and in talents, and
not let them lie fallow. It is in giving that we receive.
Reflection
Much of Jesus' teaching will be in parables and stories. Each of them says
something about God, the world and about me. We need to look beyond the
immediate story or incident in a parable, and listen beyond the words. Ask
with each parable, ‘What does this story tell me about God, or myself, or
the world around me?' Every time we listen to a good story, we hear something
new in it. We can ask about a parable when we read or hear it, ‘What new
insight does this story bring me today?'