Today’s reading may strike us as a bit odd because we hear that a group of Pharisees comes to warn Jesus that His life may be in danger. Weren’t the Pharisees all opposed to Jesus? While it may be true that this group of Pharisees might simply have wanted to have Jesus leave their vicinity, it might also be equally true that this group of Pharisees actually wanted to protect Jesus. After all, there were other Pharisees who sought out Jesus, like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. Jesus also dined with Pharisees throughout His lifetime, and we must believe that many of them were genuinely interested in knowing more about His teaching.

In any case, Jesus responded to their warning by reminding them of the works of healing and exorcisms He was performing – signs that the Kingdom of Heaven had, in fact, drawn near to them. But He was also aware that, like many prophets before Him, He would suffer rejection and be killed. In spite of that awareness, He was determined to continue His mission.

We too must recognise that we also have our mission in life, a mission to be People of the Gospel that may also bring us into conflict with the society in which we live. Today we are challenged to follow after the example of Jesus and remain faithful to our own personal calling.