“Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?
But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed."
John

Jesus could not have passed the “smell test” with Israel’s religious authorities even if he had wanted to.  He was a Galilean.
Huh? If you don’t get this, as I didn’t, the always reliable internet explained that In biblical times, Galilee was known for political unrest, banditry, and tax revolts and its people included many non-Jews. The authorities in today’s gospel from John looked down on Galilee as many Americans do places like Appalachia.

Suddenly the gospel made a lot more sense. Jesus was a social outsider because of his roots. No wonder he felt comfortable defying authorities by curing lepers on the Sabbath, chatting with a Samaritan woman, and socializing with tax collectors.
The authorities wouldn’t have accepted him because  he was a Galilean. Period. And the same goes for his crowd members. Knowing the Talmud wouldn’t have changed anything. They would still have despised them.

I hope this makes you a bit uncomfortable as it does me because I’m guessing that most of us are comfortable, middle class people who can’t help being ill-at-ease with social outcasts like those in Jesus’s crowds.  Would we also be uncomfortable with Jesus?

I remember listening to workers at a food pantry when I volunteered for a parish service day. They were discussing how hard it was to find a job when you were on probation for felony substance abuse as well as their family problems, housing difficulties and much more. Unlike me, they couldn’t escape to middle America feeling noble after their shifts ended at noon.

But if Jesus had stopped by, he would have identified with them far more than me. Ouch! 

Today I’m meditating on Jesus, the marginalized Galilean, and praying that he will accept me as part of his “accursed crowd” despite my Ph.D. and comfortably lifestyle.