Jeremiah 13:1-11 / Matthew 13:31-35
Whatever that is told to us, we want it to be as clear, as specific, and maybe as detailed as possible.
Although we have the ability to reflect and ponder and maybe even imagine, but we think that it is too troublesome.
It is more effective and more efficient to just have the gist of it in as short a time as possible.
Well, in the first reading, the message was as clear as the sun in the eyes and even too detailed.
Images of the loin cloth around the waist and the spoilt loin cloth left almost nothing to imagination.
So, the message is clear and do not need any further elaboration, i.e. just as a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, the House of Judah must cling to the Lord God.
Because the people refused to listen to God’s Word, they follow the dictates of their own hard hearts, and they even followed alien gods and served them and worshipped them.
And so obviously, there will be punishment and that is obvious.
In the gospel, Jesus spoke to the people in parables.
Indeed, He would never speak to them except in parables.
As we listen to those parables, as much as they have an obvious meaning, there is also a message.
But we need to ponder, meditate and reflect on the parables before we can understand the message.
When we understand the message, then we have heard the voice of the Lord speaking to us.
And we will want to cling to the Lord our God and walk by His ways.