For they understood nothing about all these things; in fact, what he said was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said. — Luke 18:34.
It’s striking to look back at Luke 18:34 and see how the disciples “understood nothing.” From our perspective, Jesus’s predictions about his suffering and resurrection seem perfectly clear. But at that moment, his closest followers were completely bewildered. Their confusion wasn’t a lack of intelligence; it was a lack of context.
This reminds me of my first algebra teacher. He struggled to teach us the basics because we just didn’t have the context for it, having only studied simple math before. One day, frustrated, he yelled, “Hubbell, you’re a nickel holding up a dollar! If it were raining silver dollars, your rain barrel would be turned upside down.” He made his point. Slowly, as we saw how algebra solved real problems, some of us began to grasp it.
My algebra experience highlights the challenge: it’s hard to communicate new ideas when the audience lacks the necessary mental framework. True understanding often dawns when new concepts connect to real-world problems and experiences.
Similarly, as a parent, I’ve often exclaimed, “Do you not understand?!” Whether it’s about avoiding traffic or cleaning a room, but some lessons simply require the passage of time and the accumulation of life experiences to truly sink in.
The disciples’ initial inability to grasp Jesus’s words wasn’t a flaw in them. It was a testament to the fact that some truths can only be fully illuminated through experience. We’re all constantly learning, and sometimes, the deepest understanding only comes when life finally turns our “rain barrels” the right way up.
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