Lost Sheep
Jesus is laying into the establishment in these readings! All those in authority or those who felt they were the insiders, the devout, are shown time and again to be the ones to reject Christ and be on the outside. Over time, they tire of hearing it and begin to plot against him. However, there is a joy and heat at the same time in Christ’s passion for those who are the outsiders. In our world today, there are those inside and those outside . . . . who is Christ calling us to bring in today?
Rebel
Jesus moves into a different phase in today’s readings. He confronts. He does this in an aggressive fashion. He heals on the sabbath, people who were ill the day before, or would be still the next day, but he heals in the plain sight of everyone on the sabbath . . . . when you’re not supposed to work . . . . He proclaims himself the lord of the sabbath and goes on to bless the poor, hungry, weeping and the outcasts . . . while warning those who are thought well of in the community. What is Jesus saying to us? What cherished aspects of our faith or piety is Christ pushing aside? What in us is Christ blessing? What in us is Christ challenging?