17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) 2020

“Do you UNDERSTAND all these things? They answered, yes!”

INTRO:
UNDERSTANDING; the greatest gift from God!
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In grade school, high school, and college, I struggled with MATH. I just couldn’t get it, nor understood it at all. I memorized numbers, fractions, but, not much else.

In theology school, I just couldn’t get PHILOSOPHY. It wasn’t my “cup of tea”, so to speak. I passed my courses, though, but, I still say today, “I just couldn’t understand it all.”

Today, software baffles me!

I don’t get it and I have Julie Bowling and Jeff Andrea, both are WHIZZES at understanding all the applications of our software programs, etc.…. THEY HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING of it all. I do not.
Thank you Julie and Jeff for all that you:
Know,
Understand and
Can do!!

(And you are both about half my age!!! Wonder how that factors in???)

Today, Jesus asks all his disciples… Do you understand all these things?
They all respond YES!

LUCKY THEM, they all have the gift of UNDERSTANDING.

Well, just so you know, I do too (just not for Math, Philosophy, and software) and so do you have the gift of understanding.

YOU have UNDERSTANDING, when you allow your child to be your child, listening to them in any confusion or trouble, keeping your arms open to them no matter what.

YOU have UNDERSTANDING, when you allow others, no matter what race or creed they share to be themselves without your judgement or condemnation.

YOU have UNDERSTANDING when your heart causes you to reach into your pockets so as to give to the poor in our midst.

Today, on this 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus is talking about His description for THE KINGDOM of heaven, where ALL HAVE BEEN exposed to the gift of UNDERSTANDING having wanted it on earth and practicing UNDERSTANDING well while on earth. He’s condoning that all should work hard to gain UNDERSTANDING as we live and breathe on earth.

And then we have the beautiful Old Testament story of Solomon asking for UNDERSTANDING, so that he could lead his people well.

CONCLUSION

Well, think of it? ….. Couldn’t our world use MORE UNDERSTANDING people, where we have all this brutality and racism, cruelty to others and ruining other people’s things?

Let us be a church seeking more UNDERSTANDING of others and grow in this great gift given to King Solomon and the Disciples of Jesus.