Mar
20
2020
By Anonymous (not verified)
"You are not far from the Kingdom of God." - Mk 12:34
"Mark" learned to play pool as a youngster. By the time he was 8 years old, he could make bank shots, combinations, trick shots, and more. In his 20s, Mark played on a team. Despite all he knew, he once overheard a competitor describe him as "running hot and cold." A teammate recommended he watch a video series by a Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame instructor.
At first, he watched with skepticism. Everything the instructor said was something that he already knew! But then, he heard something that changed his mindset. The instructor likened pool to a chess match. A player who can control the destination of the cue ball (as Mark could) can use it to plan ahead for the next shot and beyond. Suddenly, Mark understood: Pool was a game of strategy, not just knowing how to shoot.
Likewise, we can know a lot about our faith, but, at some point, we should progress from mere knowing to a degree of understanding. The scribe from today's Gospel who asked Jesus about the greatest commandment was one of the few in this group to receive approval from Jesus. It's interesting that afterward no one dared to ask Jesus any more questions (Mt 12:34). Certainly the others in this scribe's company knew the same quotations. They were too comfortable in mere knowledge.
Prayer: Lord, may the words I read about You sink into my heart and feed my soul.
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"Mark" learned to play pool as a youngster. By the time he was 8 years old, he could make bank shots, combinations, trick shots, and more. In his 20s, Mark played on a team. Despite all he knew, he once overheard a competitor describe him as "running hot and cold." A teammate recommended he watch a video series by a Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame instructor.
At first, he watched with skepticism. Everything the instructor said was something that he already knew! But then, he heard something that changed his mindset. The instructor likened pool to a chess match. A player who can control the destination of the cue ball (as Mark could) can use it to plan ahead for the next shot and beyond. Suddenly, Mark understood: Pool was a game of strategy, not just knowing how to shoot.
Likewise, we can know a lot about our faith, but, at some point, we should progress from mere knowing to a degree of understanding. The scribe from today's Gospel who asked Jesus about the greatest commandment was one of the few in this group to receive approval from Jesus. It's interesting that afterward no one dared to ask Jesus any more questions (Mt 12:34). Certainly the others in this scribe's company knew the same quotations. They were too comfortable in mere knowledge.
Prayer: Lord, may the words I read about You sink into my heart and feed my soul.
See all meditations to date
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