Are We Gettin Dis?

All I could think about were the mixed reviews of the course. Some praised it for being brilliant and inspiring, while others said the philosophy was difficult to grasp and the professor. Well, he was even harder to understand. Suddenly, in strolls a man about 5’ 9”, wearing khaki pants, a shirt made from traditional African cloth, and dawning a big smile. It could only be Professor Nlandu.

If I remember correctly, he is from Nigeria. As he starts to speak, you can hear his thick accent, “Are we here to study African Philosophy or Philosophy of Africa? Is there a difference?” He looks at all of us, and I stare blankly back at him. He continues “Are we getting dis?” My mind screamed “NO! I hadn't even thought of that question". He scanned over the class and began his lecture describing the difference between the philosophies.

Throughout the lecture, he would interrupt himself and ask, "Are we getting dis?" He asked this question so often, it was almost like a tick. But in reality this question actually served two purposes; The first, it provided the opportunity for student’s to ask questions for clarification on a topic. The second, it revealed his compassion for his students. As a professor he wanted us to truly learn and understand the materials he teaching. Because if we didn't, we could fail. And there isn't a teacher out there, who wants their students to fail. He honestly cared for us, and wanted to make sure we were “getting dis”.

That question must be a reflection upon a really good teacher because we hear Jesus utter similar words in the gospel reading. After telling five different parables, Jesus asks the crowd in front of him, “Have you understood all this?” The crowd responds with a resounding, “YES”. But my question for us today is, is that our answer?

"Are we getting dis?"

Each parable is about a seemingly ordinary object. Each so normal that one could ask, “How do these stories possibly reflect the kingdom of God?” Well let’s put these parables into context beginning with the mustard seed. The mustard seed was used as a common comparison in Jewish culture. They frequently saw a that tiny seed grow into a large tree that would encompass an entire garden. So Jesus used the common mustard seed in his parable to convey the truth of the extraordinary growth of the Kingdom of God. It takes merely a mustard seed of faith to start the spread of the Kingdom of Heaven.

"Are we getting dis?"

Now the yeast, it was typical in Jewish culture for women to use yeast everyday to make bread for their households. But surprisingly, yeast actually has a negative, even evil, connotation in Jewish culture. This is why they don't use it during Passover, and eat Matze, a bread made without yeast, instead. In the parable Jesus chose yeast to convey a different, more shocking truth. We may witness evil in the world, and awful things will happen, but the Kingdom of God will still prevail.

"Are we getting dis?"

Following the yeast, we hear about a man finding treasure in a field. A little strange, but in those times in Jewish culture people would bury their money in order to keep it safe rather than in a bank. Jesus reveals that the Kingdom of God may not be so easy to find. When we think we see it on the surface, but aren't finding anything, we will have to dig deeper. Because the Kingdom of God can be uncovered in the most hidden of places.

“Are we getting dis?”

Then we hear about a man selling everything to purchase a pearl. Pearls were not only loved for their monetary value, but also for their rare beauty. So if an individual came across a pearl it was worth selling everything to own it in order to possess it forever. What does Jesus want to convey here? The Kingdom of Heaven is so lovely and fine as pearl that it is worth doing all we can to possess the Kingdom of God here on earth.

“Are we getting dis?”

And finally the fishermen and their nets. Jesus knows there are fishermen among the crowd. So he knows they understand that every time the cast out their net, they want to capture as many fish as possible. In doing this they cannot discriminate about what they are catching because they just want to catch as many fish as possible. So what does mean for us? Jesus calls us to throw out our nets to catch as many people as we can to share with the love of God.

“Are we getting this?”

These are still very ordinary everyday examples. And that’s the point, Jesus, like any loving teacher, uses these examples so we can understand his parables. What we witness within our everyday lives is not actually so ordinary. They are actually extraordinary pieces of the kingdom of God.

It may be as small as mustard seed, and found in very unusual places, or even evil places. And it won’t always be on the surface level, but it is worth investing our entire lives to find it and make it our reality. We are called to be fishers of all people to bring them to this table, and show all people God's love.

“Are we getting dis?”