Unconventional (Mt.12,1-8)

The public ministry of Jesus was hounded by protests and criticisms from the Pharisees. Wherever Jesus went, there almost always were the Pharisees, apparently on the lookout for things they could charge him for. But Jesus only did good things! And precisely because of the good things he did for people, Jesus earned the disapproval of the Pharisees. For associating and dining with tax collectors, for allowing a sinful woman to anoint his feet, for forgiving the adulteress, for healing the sick on the Sabbath, for letting his disciples pull off the heads of grains on the Sabbath and eat them because they were hungry, Jesus was stormed with criticisms. Despite all this, he did not cease doing good for people.

We profess to be followers of Jesus, don’t we? But are we afraid of criticisms? Do we hesitate to do what is right because of what other people might say? It is easy to lose ourselves in the crowd and play conventional; it is hard to be different and be criticized. Jesus made a lot of difference. As Christians, let’s do some.