Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 09th June 2024
In the gospels there are many different images and titles used to describe Jesus. He spoke about himself as being the Good Shepherd, the Bread of life and the Light of the World; just to name a few. However, this Sunday there is a description of him in the gospel with which we are not too familiar, but it is very clearly stated. The crowd of people is so big that Jesus is not even able to have a meal. When his family hear this, ‘they set out to take charge of him, convinced he was out of his mind.’ If we said this today about someone, it would be not exactly a compliment!
Through the way he lived and spoke, Jesus offered the people of his time and us today a message and set of values that are very radical and challenging. He did and said a lot of things that were not popular or acceptable according to the Jewish Law of the time. He went out of his way to be with people who were seen as sinners and outcasts. He spent time and ate with tax collectors. He publicly spoke to and deliberately touched those who were sick, even lepers. He made time to be with and welcomed women into his company. We think of the woman who touched the hem of his garment, the woman who anointed him with oil and the woman he met at the well. So obvious was his unusual and radical behaviour that the Pharisees pointed their finger at him to publicly condemn and criticise him. As far as they were concerned, Jesus was certainly out of his mind and as we just heard, even his family were concerned about him.