We must go with him!

"The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them."
Luke 4:42

Is it me? Did I wake up on the wrong side of the bed and, reading this, see the people of Capernaum in a negative light? I see them as trying to keep Jesus for themselves, as their own miracle worker, healing their sick and working miracles in their town, but reluctant to let him go to others. Do we still tend to do that? Claiming Jesus for ourselves, wanting Jesus on our side? If Jesus is on our side, then our side must be the right side and other sides must, therefore, be wrong...right? Argh, that! Throughout history we see groups claiming Jesus who have no real adherence to Jesus' teachings. Jesus, for his part, went far out to the edges, to the fringe, and scooped up those were cast out of the "group." Jesus went out of his way to include those society spurned. If Jesus is on our side, or if we are on Jesus' side, we must do the same and reach far and wide to include others...ALL others. This Jesus "club" of ours is expansive in its width and breadth. It includes rather than excludes. Not only must we let Jesus go out to others, but we must go with him! Love, heidi