From the Morning Scriptures

On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

–Luke 6:6-11 (TNIV)

Have you ever gotten angry over seeing someone behave as a Christian? The question is not as silly as it may sound. I have seen people get visibly angry when they heard someone pray for the likes of someone like Osama bin Laden. I have seen people get angry when they hear someone speak out against war or against homosexuality (not homosexuals). I have seen people get angry when they were asked to pick up their cross and follow Jesus, e.g., to do something that would bring them disapproval from others.

Christ calls us to be countercultural, to abide by God’s economy, which demands that we look out for the weak and the helpless, which demands that we take up our cross and die to our selfish desires, which demands that we dare love someone enough that we actually do not take a laissez-faire attitude toward them when we see them engaging in destructive behaviors, which demands that we love our enemies and pray for them. This is not easy because this is not the way of the world. The next time we read stories like the one from today’s Gospel, let us stop and look at our own houses before we throw stones at the Pharisees.