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In today's Gospel we hear the Pharisees accusing Jesus of being Beelzebul, the ruler of demons. Why? Because he casts out demons, and that is how he could do it.

Ok, but the healings he has already done as well? So I guess he is also an antibiotic resistant super bacteria, and by that power he casts out infection?

His real name is Arthur-itis and that is how he could straighten out the hand of one person and the back of a woman? I guess he must be the cause of all sin and that is the authority that he had to forgive sins!

Jesus operated outside the existing structure of righteousness and "clean vs. unclean."  Which is probably why they said what they did. They literally "demonize" him for his actions and words.

Of course, we don't do that anymore- right? We don't get all tribal and defensive and think that the other people are evil?

No wonder Jesus was crucified by an unholy mix of religion and politics, he dared to preach love- even love of an enemy! And that whole forgiveness thing, how do we keep people in their place without guilt and shame?

Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church made this observation:

"It's funny isn't it? That you can preach a judgmental and vengeful and angry God and nobody will mind. But you start preaching a God that is too accepting, too loving, too forgiving, too merciful, too kind, you are in trouble."

How is it that we can confuse love with something bad? How forgiveness becomes a commodity?  (Did they earn it?)

How are we following the Messiah who came and included all kinds of people that the society deemed flawed, failed, or just wanted to forget- women, children, the sick, the poor, the "less than pure by the basis of the Pharisees," even the Gentiles?

As we seek to create his family, will we be crazy enough to include and love all, or will we just become another group with our own list of who is acceptable and lovable- and who isn't?

The family of God and the Kingdom of God are far larger than we give it credit for.

May we be as possessed with the need to show that and share that in this world, as Jesus was 2000 years ago.