“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.
Mark 1:17
Today, I focused on the fact that Jesus speaks to people wherever they are. When he preached or talked to his followers, he speaks to them at a level they could understand. He used references to their everyday lives: fishing, sowing, reaping, herding, tending, etc. I fully believe that Jesus continues to speak to our situations even today.
Every one of us has had the teacher that couldn't teach or write below his/her professional degree level, making it impossible for a student to understand. We've also all had the teacher who speaks to teenagers like they are kindergardeners. Neither of these teachers were effective. We were unable to learn from the first, and we were unable to respect the second. If Jesus spoke like that, no one would have taken him seriously. The same is true for those of us who are sharing the Gospel today.
Am I maknig myself available to those who want to hear the Gospel message from me? Am I speaking to them in a way that makes sense to them? Speaking in fishing or farming metaphors may work for my friend Andrew or the Ellis family, but how do I share the message with the children I babysit, their parents, other parishoners, servers, friends, family...? Can I speak to the people who need to hear God's message?
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