Gospel: Mt 5:38-48
Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand over your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.
“You have heard that it was said; You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Homily
With all the murders that have taken place recently we have become accustomed to hearing persons whose family members or loved ones have been killed saying; “all we want is justice. The justice sought however is not the justice which flows from love of the neighbour. It is the perceived justice of the old law which dictated; “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” In so far as this is the understanding of justice which is espoused, to a large extent a person espousing this understanding is an old testament person and the power of Christ’s liberating word has not freed that person from the law which St. Paul describes as enslaving.
In his inaugural sermon when He began his public ministry, Jesus began quoting the prophet Isaiah. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,” he said. “He has sent me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”
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Unfortunately many are still held captive by emotions which demand satisfaction through vengeance and this in itself generates more violence and bloodshed. It is in this scenario that the words of the Gospel given to us today call us to a response which is New Testament in its orientation and is fruit of the liberating word of Jesus Christ.
As Jesus speaks to his disciples he seeks to move them from a literal understanding of the law to an acceptance of the often unreasonable demands of others. Jesus tells his disciples therefore “offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand over your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.” All of us have had unreasonable demands made of us and how difficult it has proven to give in to those demands. The culture in which we live does not facilitate or honour such behaviour yet the Gospel of Jesus Christ often calls us to be counter-cultural because the culture often leads to the least common denominator and that does not bring the joy of the Gospel.
But Jesus goes beyond the acceptance of unreasonable demands as a proof of Christian discipleship. Jesus calls us to actively seek the Good of all, even the enemy: “You have heard that it was said; You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” It is in living love for all persons that we bear the likeness of our Father in heaven, and it is in seeking to “make his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causing rain to fall on the just and the unjust” that we become as perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.
Such were the lives of the saints, they loved good and bad alike and so were judged perfect and declared saints. You and I are also called to be saints. We cannot and must not remain locked into hatred of others or vengeance or a self-absorption which does not allow us to see the often negative plight of others. We are called to the freedom which allows us to break cultural norms so as to be perfect as our heavenly father is perfect. May the words of Jesus in this Gospel passage bring us to that freedom.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God you call us to exceed ourselves in generosity. You call us to set a different standard, to live by values which are totally different to the values of this world. We want to be truly your Sons and daughters. Give us the grace to be like you, making your sun rise on the bad and the good, and causing rain to fall on the just and the unjust. Help us always to go the extra mile. We ask this through the intercession of Mary our Mother and our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever.
