It seems we cross such lines, way too often, in our lives. We decide that this person is undesirable and thus nothing they say or do can be seen as anything other than manipulative. We determine that that person is wrong and as a result anything which comes from her mouth must be suspect and refuted.
Surely, among the works the Jesus does, there were some actions which would have met with the approval of the Pharisees, had they remained open to him. But that is not the picture painted for us in the Gospel narrative. They had made their mind up about Jesus and that was that.
It is so much easier to live as a disciple when I am not living among other disciples. Living in a community means I will be confronted with the inconsistencies between what we say we believe and how we apply those beliefs to our daily lives. Living among other disciples means learning to remain open to another's whole person, not simply some idealized portrait of them. Being in community is also a way to be reminded of our own tendency to fall short of the mark Christ has set for us.
I am not sure when the Pharisees crossed that line. I don't know what causes us to cross, either. But I am firmly convinced that crossing such lines is not the way of Jesus, nor should it be the way of Jesus' disciples. He remained prepared to accept the current interaction as the one which mattered the most. And, thankfully, he was always prepared to hear our confession and to allow us the opportunity to repent and begin anew. These are traits of our Lord and Master which it would serve us well to emulate.
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