Last night at my grandson’s summer football drills,
I watched a parable unfold on a goal line.
After an hour of speed, strength, and agility work,
the boys were worn out.
Then came the 100‑yard dashes.
Some glided across the field—
smooth, effortless, almost floating.
Most ran steady, including my grandson.
And then came the big boys—
the ones I know well from my own life—
slow, heavy, determined.
By the fourth sprint, one seventh‑grader—
well over six feet, close to 300 pounds—
bent over in agony,
crying, unable to go on.
But the coaches ran to him.
His friends ran to him.
They lifted him, encouraged him,
and with their help,
he finished the run…
and even two more afterward.
Never the fastest,
but unmistakably the most determined.
And that is where the Gospel speaks.
The disciples ask Jesus,
“Why do You speak in parables?”
And Jesus replies:
Some look but do not see,
some hear but do not understand—
their hearts grown heavy, closed, tired.
But blessed are the ones
whose eyes still see
and whose ears still hear.
That young man could have quit.
His body said “stop,”
but his heart said “go.”
And when he could not lift himself,
others lifted him.
This is what it means
to have eyes that see
and ears that hear.
To recognize mercy when it comes running toward you.
To accept help when your strength runs out.
To trust that God sends people
to pull you forward
when you cannot move on your own.
Many longed to see what we see—
the God who meets us in weakness,
the Christ who speaks in stories
so our tired hearts can understand.
So keep running your race—
not the fastest,
but the most faithful—
with eyes open,
ears open,
and a heart ready
to be lifted by God
and by the people He sends.
Prayer
Lord,
Open my eyes to the grace
that meets me in my weakness.
Steady my steps when life
feels long and heavy.
Send companions who lift me
when I cannot lift myself.
Keep my heart soft, listening, and ready
to understand Your Word.
Make me faithful in trusting You
Amen
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