“Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy”
In today’s reading we find one of the first examples of persecution of Christians. Why does it happen? Jealousy. Jealousy is at the root of most problems in human life. We find it so hard to live and co-exist together? Why is that? I’ll never know. Is it because we don’t think we’re good enough without having power over others? Is it because we don’t like our own lives, see someone who has a life we wish we had so strive to steal it for ourselves? Is it a fear, a need to protect a truth which is more than capable of defending itself? Whatever it is, rather than casting ourselves favourably when set against the leaders depicted poorly in this story, let’s be aware that jealousy is something we all fall into and are prone to, and resolve not to be persecutors ourselves.