John 1:1-14
The Word Becomes Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life,and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Matthew 9:9-13
Jesus Came for Sinners
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 11:19
Jesus Taught Tax Collectors and Sinners
19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”
Matthew 12:1-14
Jesus is LORD of the Sabbath
1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them.2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”
3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. 5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus,they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
Matthew 23:13
Jesus Calls the Pharisees Hypocrites
13 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
To say Jesus was just one of the boys or like other men would not be an accurate statement...To say that He fit in around others, could also be debated...But He did become a Man and dwelt among us...And He was a very wise and Good Teacher...But why did it happen that many around Him did not recognize Him as their Creator?...St. John even writes that the world did not recognize Him...How can this be?...And how could a man have problems with the One who created them?...
Jesus did many good deeds, healed many, and did miracles...Most people would think this would have made Him a popular Man...But these things did not seem to help His status with the Pharisees and the teachers of the law...Jesus sometimes (and maybe often) had difficulties with the Pharisees and the teachers of the law…It is probably more accurate to say that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law had difficulties with Him…But why would you not like the One who knows everything about you?...Why would you dislike Someone who knows your very soul and your very essence?...Why would you oppose Him?...Why would you want your Creator killed?...
Jesus threatened the way the Pharisees and the teachers of the law lived...Jesus called them hypocrites...And coming from Him it has to be true...Jesus showed them little respect for their traditions, especially those around the Sabbath...But He knows the Sabbath, and even calls Himself LORD of the Sabbath...Jesus gave them the Bible and Scripture in its exact context, and they seemed to despise Him for that...Jesus had an authoritative way and sense about Him and the Pharisees seemed to dislike that...I do not think they liked the people who were following Him and who He taught...His followers were all sinners...And Jesus showed the Pharisees and the teachers of the law little respect...
Let us learn from the things that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law could not see, come to grips with, and recognize in Jesus...
There is Something Completely Unique about Jesus...He built His entire following on His what He said and with His deeds...One's wisdom is proved right by the deeds that they do and have done...Jesus is an inspiration for everyone...He inspired His followers and continues to inspire us with the three great virtues of faith, hope, and love...