"When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, 'He is out of his mind.'”
We are often tempted to blame behaviors that upset us on mental illness. Mental illness is an easy target, and while we need to be sensitive to anyone who suffers psychologically, we also need to recognize that some people choose to behave in ways that upset others despite the cost to themselves.
Jesus regularly chooses to behave in ways that upset the authorities and his family. He allows bleeding women to touch him, he reaches out for lepers and the blind, and he ignores some Sabbath laws for a greater good. Though his relatives want to protect themselves from the shame that comes to them because a relative breaks the law, Jesus continues to interpret the law in ways that protect the broken, the poor and the voiceless. We have the same mission.
Today, pray for those you don't understand or agree with.
Whose unconventional life impacted you for good?
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please be discreet in your comments. I will monitor the comments, and only exclude those that are patently offensive.