Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.” We should not be surprised to see the Pharisees as looking out for Jesus. They were natural allies in the desire to bring God into daily life. The hostility between them in the gospels probably says more about the time when the gospels were written when the early Church was in conflict with the synagogue than it does of the ministry of Jesus. What a good reminder that there really aren’t enemies out there. St. Paul says our struggle is not with flesh and blood but … with the evil spirits in the heavens. We have to find a way to reconciliation, forgiveness and compassion with those we are having differences with.
