Wednesday 5 July

Genesis 21:5,8–20; Psalm 34; Matthew 8:28–34

The other side

Jesus goes to the other side, to the territory of the Gentiles. Two demoniacs who live in the place of the dead (the tombs) came to meet him. In this difficult and mysterious story he heals two outsiders. Jesus is rejected by the people of the nearby town and asked to leave. How do I feel when I meet people who are from ‘the other side?’ What can I learn from Jesus when my attempt to reach out to the other is rejected?