As we live our lives, there are just some people, who, for whatever reason, tend to do wicked things.  They are usually cooking up some well-practiced way to harass other people or drag everyone down.  These people wo do wicked things, wherever they are, carry on with confidence because they assure themselves that God will do nothing to stop them and nothing to help.  Those who choose the path of wickedness, spend their day and night conspiring to take what doesn’t belong to them.  They relish the thought of extinguishing the bright light of those who shine, because that light threatens their exposure in the dark.  However, even the wicked are children of God, and they have a purpose they must fulfill.

In today’s Gospel, when Jesus realized that the Pharisees had started plotting to put him to death, he left that place and went somewhere else.  Make no mistake ---- Jesus wasn't afraid --- he was in control of timing.  Many more things needed to be done first, and then it would be time.  At that point, he will not stop the sequence of events.  We must trust God’s timing.

We have all encountered people we would experience as wicked.  They make our lives miserable and steal our peace of mind, even if it is just for a moment in time.  The message today is, don't despair, everything has its time and God is not asleep.  Just because God is silent, doesn't mean God has abandoned us.  God's silence concerning the escapades of the wicked is not about detachment. God's perceived absence is not indifference; it is an opening for reconciliation and redemption.  It is the space in time that God creates to prepare us for our victory. It is the space needed for the message of reconciliation to take root in our souls and birth compassion.  It is an opportunity for the wicked to correct their thoughts and ways.  Maybe they are presented in our lives as people lined up for healing.  Maybe their presence makes us more resilient or more flexible. Is it possible that these naughty children of God could transform and blossom just from their encounter with us, despite the apparent discomfort?  When we wear the cloak of Christ each day, and slip-on our shoes of peace, we have no reason to be afraid of the wicked ---- God is always merciful.

It might be unsettling as people who are jealous, competitive, and vengeful, spend precious time trying to steal our peace ---- but let's not despair......but trust God.  When the time is right, God will ask us to face them without hesitation and unclenched fists, and when this happens, no one will question God's love for us, and no one will ask, "Where is your God?"  Our struggles will have meaning and purpose.  Even the one who is inclined to wicked deeds also serves a purpose, and that purpose is known to God.  As God entrusts the message of hope and reconciliation to us, we must entrust our need for justice to God.