Reading: Matthew 13:1-23, Acts 18:18-28, Psalm 30, Exodus 19-20

Recall:
He replied, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn’t been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That’s why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they’re blue in the face and not get it. Matthew 13:11-13

Before boarding the ship in the harbor town of Cenchrea, he had his head shaved as part of a vow he had taken. Acts 18:18b

You did it: you changed wild lament
into whirling dance;
You ripped off my black mourning band
and decked me with wildflowers.
I’m about to burst with song;
I can’t keep quiet about you.
GOD, my God,
I can’t thank you enough. Psalm 30:11-12
Reflect:
Why do some people get it and some people don't? Why are some people tuned into the Divine and some people not? And what, if anything, can be done about it? The words placed in Jesus' mouth here are that some people that have the insight and some that don't. Peterson softens it a bit by imagining that Jesus tells stories to "nudge people toward receptive insight." Actually...Peterson completely re-imagines it. NRSV translates 12 as "For 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." Peterson paraphrases it as "Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears."

Jesus' strived to nudge people toward readiness. A MUCH better way of thinking about it.
Respond:
I am going to start imagining my mission as nudging people toward readiness.