"Are We There Yet?

Matthew 15.15 NIV and “The Message”

Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”

“I don’t get it. Put it in plain language.”

Peter is the patron saint of the dense. He’s my kind of guy. Most of us “don’t get it” quietly. But Peter blurts out his ignorance for all to hear, “I’m lost. Can you explain what you’re talking about?” Peter validates and encourages me. I now know it’s OK to admit, “I don’t get it”. If Peter needed an explanation, why am I surprised that I do?

I would rather “get” everything. I hate to look stupid. I don’t want others to jeer and poke fun at my ignorance with snide remarks like, “Wake up and smell the coffee” or “Come to the party” or everyone’s favorite, “Duh”. But that’s the risk I take when, like Peter, I choose to display my unawareness for all to see.

Of course, there is an upside to this risk. Perhaps I will actually learn something. So, when the pain of ignorance becomes greater than the fear of reprisal, I may take the plunge and confess my reality:

“I don’t get it. Put it in plain language.”

My comprehension is limited. I only know a few things. I’m ever learning but never knowing it all. Always on the journey but never arriving.

I grew up in a military home and my family moved constantly. (Thankfully, they never left me behind.) I actually attended three fifth grade classes in Massachusetts, Montana, and Germany. My parents and siblings and I took lots of trips. My memory of vacations and relocations all blend together now. We traveled by ship, plane, train, bus, subway, and car. I recall few destinations, but frequent journeys and lots of sightseeing along the way. I often wondered (and pestered my parents with), “Are we there yet?” I’m still wondering.

Very little is crystal clear for me. I am a believer.  I subscribe to the basic tenants of the Christian faith. I know Jesus died for my sins and rose from the dead. I am assured that my eternal destiny is secure. I know I am aware that I have a wonderful wife and family, a great job, and good health. I am overwhelmingly grateful for all these blessings. I know I am called to serve in the name of Christ. But that’s about it. I grasp very little beyond that. I am in constant need of divine explanations to human dilemmas, many of my own making. Thank God for a Savior who never wearies of my need to know and the example of a disciple who overcame his shame and admitted his personal limitations…

“Explain the parable to us.”
“I don’t get it. Put it in plain language.”