"For this reason they tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God."
Jesus was forever standing on the margins of Jewish life and challenging the leaders of the Jews to take another look at the Law and the Prophets. Could they see the law from the perspective of the poor and the voiceless? Can we?
Because it can be very difficult and dangerous to stand in the margins, most of us are reluctant to make ourselves so vulnerable. Knowing our lives will change if we give ourselves over completely to God, we hesitate, not ready for the transformation to which the gospel calls us.
Because Jesus gave voice to the heartache of everyday people, he was labeled an agitator, and became the object of the Pharisees rage and fear. In recent history, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Martin Luther King, Jr, lived this same role. Though each of these key historical figures was personally flawed, they knew God wanted them to be prophets, and, at great personal cost, stood on the margins demanding justice for all.
Today, come out of the shadows and live a public life of faith.
Who do you most admire for speaking truth to power?
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