A Reflection of Matthew 11:19
In Matthew 11:19, Jesus says, "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is proved right by her deeds." I recently ran across this teaching I had reflected on in 2022. It challenged me to see and listen differently.
John the Baptist and Jesus
Many of those who witnessed John the Baptist must have shuddered at the sight of him living an eclectic life in the desert, eating bugs, and proclaiming words the people believed blasphemous. They claimed he had a demon.
He did not fit in.
Jesus came, ate with sinners, and drank wine, and they shunned him as gluttonous.
Jesus did not fit in.
Both were rejected because they needed to fit into the expectations of the time. They prayed and cried out for a messiah. Yet, when he came, He did not fit what they thought they needed, and many of the people of that era missed out on the greatest treasure ever offered: the promise of eternal life. Those who refused Jesus must have refused to listen to him. They were listening for their will and not the will of their Father.
What Treasures Are We Missing?
Reflecting on this, I think we must ask ourselves: What treasures are we missing out on because we refuse to see and listen? Are we so caught up in our perspectives and prejudices that we overlook the wisdom and beauty in others? We must open our hearts and minds to avoid losing out on the valuable lessons and love that others can offer us.
The Heart of Listening
To truly see and love others, we need to cultivate a heart that listens to receive information rather than to defend our views. This type of listening allows us to communicate more clearly, disagree with grace, and love more fully. It involves being present, putting aside our judgments, and genuinely trying to understand the other person's perspective. We don't have to be convinced of world views that don't align with our faith, but I'm reminded that we are called on to love, and if I dismiss someone simply because of their perspective, I may not best understand how God wants me to love them.
A Catholic Perspective
From a Catholic perspective, seeing people and listening to them aligns with our call to love our neighbors as ourselves.
We recognize the inherent dignity in every person, created in God's image and likeness.
It means being open to the Holy Spirit, who can work through anyone to convey God’s truth and love.
A Prayer for Grace
Today, let us pray for the grace to listen and see people as they are, not as we expect them to be. May we ask for the wisdom to discern and the courage to embrace the treasures God places in our lives through others. Let us open our hearts to the possibility that even those who seem different from us may have something profound to teach us.
By learning to listen with a heart of receiving and seeing with the eyes of Christ, we can build a more loving, understanding, and grace-filled community. Let us not miss out on the treasures that God wants to bestow upon us through our interactions with others.
What do you think? What conversations might have gone differently if you had listened to hear and not respond? I can think of several from this past week!
Hi, I'm Kass.
I'm committed to making this space an offering to write, speak, and support great fiction from a Catholic worldview. I aim to encourage other Catholic fiction authors to write in more of our faith traditions, embracing the sacraments, offering our sufferings, displaying the beauty of the Mass, and veneration of Mary and the saints.
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