those who listen with a generous and good heart...
Some time ago, I was talking with a young couple. I asked about a plan they had some time before and they answered: We cannot talk about this subject without fighting, because each one has a different feeling about the failure of that plan. They started expressing each his/her view with a certain heat but without fighting and, of course, they could not agree. After about ten minutes listening to them, during a little “brake”, I asked: “Have you seen today’s gospel?” “No”, they answered. “Let us listen to it. Who will read it?” I said. The husband read Luke 8, 4-15, and we analyzed it together slowly. Jesus stands alone on the lake shore. As they see him, a big crowd come to listen to him. Jesus does not seem too happy about so many people coming, since he has already realized that their motivation is not so clear. Some just do not have much to do, some come just out of curiosity, and perhaps there were also some with the intention of judging him. So, he decides to talk to them in parables. After telling them the parable of the sower, he drops a warning: “Those who have ears to hear, listen!”
As Jesus guessed, the crowd dispersed without any question even though they had not understood. Not even the disciples had understood. But the disciples asked Jesus immediately: “What does that parable mean?” Instead of answering right away about the meaning of the parable, Jesus congratulated them about their attitude. Since they had basically decided to go with Jesus, on the one hand, they felt close enough to him to ask, on the other hand, they wanted to know what he was speaking about. So, it seems that in order to understand each other, we need first to trust each other. Finally, in the explanation Jesus gave of the parable, we paid attention to the meaning of the seed that fell on the good soil: “They are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.” The husband admitted that he had never paid attention to that explanation of Jesus.
Then, we observed in the next passage how Jesus recommends again: “Be careful about how do you listen, because to the one who has, more will be given. But he who has nothing, even what he thinks he has, will be taken away from him.” (Lk 8, 18) Continuing down to the next passage, (Lk 8, 19-21) we observed Jesus speaking to the crowd. His mother comes with some relatives to look for him because they are worried about him, according to Mk. Since they cannot reach him, somebody in the crowd who has noticed it tells Jesus: “Hey, your mother and relatives are looking for you outside.” Jesus says: “My mother and relatives are those who listen to and practiced the word of my Father.” Is not this the same as “They are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.”? The fruit Jesus is speaking about is not to become brothers and sisters among ourselves and children of the Father in heaven? Is not this the purpose of Jesus’ coming to the world? Is not this the only desire of the Father? Is not this, finally, our salvation?
We three remained silent for a while, prayed and dispersed with some desire to listen more to each other, because he who does not listen to the brothers and sisters who can be seen, cannot listen to the Father who cannot be seen.
以善良和誠實的心傾聽。。。
不久以前，我和一對年輕夫婦談話，我詢問他們先前的...計畫，他們回覆：「我們每次一提到這主題就一定會吵架。因為兩個人關於這計畫之失敗有不同的感覺。」他們二人開始表達他們兩個人不同的意見，雖然尚未到爭吵的階段，但有些激烈，當場他們無法同意對方的見解，聽他們講了約10分鐘，在幾秒鐘的休息，我差進去詢問他們：「你們是否看了今天的福音？」他們回答：「還沒！」。我接著說：「讓我們一起聆聽，誰要念這段福音？」先生念了路加福音第八章4-15節，我們一起慢慢分析：耶穌獨自一人站在湖邊，當他們看到他時，大批群眾聚集前來聆聽他，耶穌似乎並不開心看到這麼多群眾前來，因為他已經明瞭他們的動機並不十分明確，有些人沒什麼事可做，有些人來只是因為好奇，有些群眾的動機可能是要判斷耶穌。所以，他決定用比喻跟他們說話，他告訴他們撒種的比喻之後，給了一個警告：「有耳的聽吧！」如同他猜測的，群眾散去而沒有提出任何問題，既使他們並不明白，因為連門徒們自己也不明白這比喻，但門徒們立刻詢問耶穌「這比喻的意義為何？」耶穌並未馬上解釋這比喻的意義，而是先讚許他們的態度。既然他們基本上已經決定要更隨耶穌，一方面他們感覺與他夠親近，所以敢提出疑問，另一方面他們想知道他所說的深意。由此可見，如果我們為了要彼此互相瞭解，我們首先需要彼此信任。最後，從耶穌對比喻的解釋中，我們注意到落在好地裏的種子：「以善良和誠實的心傾聽的人，他們把這話保存起來，以堅忍結出果實。」先生承認他從未注意到耶穌的這解釋。
然後在下一段福音中，我們注意耶穌又再次提到：「你們要留心怎麼聽，因為凡有的還要給他，凡沒有的連他以為有的也要從他奪去。」（路八：18）
在下一段福音，（路八：19-21）我們觀察當耶穌對群眾說話時，他的母親和親戚來找他，根據馬爾谷福音，來找他是因為他們擔心他。然而他們到了卻不能走進他，群眾中有人注意到這件事並告訴耶穌：「嗨！你的母親和弟兄們在外面站著想要見你。」耶穌回答說：「聽天主的話並實踐的人，就是我的弟兄和我的母親。」這不和「以善良和誠實的心傾聽的人，他們把這話保存起來，以堅忍結出果實。」一樣嗎？耶穌所提到的「果實」不正是成為彼此兄弟姊妹以及天父之子女嗎？這不正是耶穌來到這世界上的目的嗎？這不正是天父唯一的渴望嗎？最後，這不正是我們的救恩嗎？
我們三個人安靜了一會兒，一起祈禱並帶著更加聆聽彼此的渴望離開。因為，凡是不聆聽看得見的弟兄及姊妹們就無法聆聽看不見的天父。
弘 宣 天
美蘭翻譯
2006.10.22
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