When Jesus does something wonderful like the miracles of healing yesterday and today, the Pharisees do not take issue with what he does, but the way or the timing in which he does it. They must find someway to denounce him.

Of course they have no proof that he is in league with the devil, but at least they find reason not to praise him; and not to open the doors/the gate of opportunity we discovered yesterday.

A few lines further we read: Jesus laments the fact that the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few. Is the reason for the scarcity of laborers the same attitude as that of the Pharisees, a reluctance to open the door to discovery; what it might entail? A reluctance to join Jesus in ministry is certainly prevalent today.

But there is even a reluctance to join together in prayer, in recognizing unity and dignity of all God's children. In the first reading (Genesis 33:1-19--not in lectionary) Esau does not seem at first to be genuinely delighted to see his long-lost brother. We can only speculate about his true feelings.

Jacob must have been filled with tremendous fear. The last time that he had seen Esau, he ran for his life. With the passage of time both of these brothers changed. When Jacob put aside his fear and finally faced his brother, he found that even though great pain still existed in both, there was still affection for one another.

This reunion did not signal the end of this fraternal feud. Conflict between their families continues throughout the Old Testament and into the New. The hated and feared family of Herod traces its lineage back to Esau. Conflicts are not easily resolved, but when left unresolved, they can become a burden to generations far into the future . Do you know any family feuds that have gone on for generations?