Luke 6: 27-38
The Word:https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022022.cfm
Ever since Pope Francis was elected nine years ago in March of 2013 on (3/13/13) in fact we have heard his challenging mantra to go to the borders, to love to the peripheries and accompany the poor and forgotten. It is both inspiring, inclusive, and Christ like. But we all know how difficult this can be. In fact, as we hear Jesus teach in the Gospel this Sunday, it is to love beyond what is normal when he demands that we love our enemies. Why? They don’t deserve our love – or do they?
Our first reading this Sunday from the book
of Samuel leaves us perhaps with mixed feelings. David had a golden opportunity to gain one up
on his enemy Saul by attacking Saul while he slept – but he doesn’t do that. David resists the temptation from his
companion Abishai who wanted to nail Saul “with one thrust of the spear” when
they find him sleeping. David resists
and takes the non-violent approach as he acknowledges King Saul as the “Lord’s
Anointed.” While that may not be the best military strategy it certainly
highlights the core moral teaching of Jesus we hear in the Gospel from Luke
today.
While David’s resistance was a momentary
response, Jesus invites his disciples to make such behavior our way of living.
For David’s choice raised him to a higher level than violence for
violence. He rose above evil with
charity. David was hardly perfect and had done evil himself blinded by lust for
Bathsheba and a murderous plot towards her husband but such past sin was
repented and rejected and he chose the better part with Saul.
The Scriptures this Sunday continue for us
Luke's sermon on the plain. For Luke, as
we heard last Sunday, locates Jesus on a level stretch as he comes down from
the heights to embrace the condition of the poor and make it his own. Nonetheless, whether it be literary license
in order to emphasize a Gospel theme or not, the core teachings of both Matthew’s
sermon on the mount or Luke’s location of Jesus on the plain is the same. And this Sunday, the fundamental call to
non-violence and love of enemies is given a prime place in Jesus' sermon to the
crowds gathered to hear him.
Many times we feel guilty about our anger and
we may confess the natural emotion of anger as sinful. But it's right to
acknowledge that anger is a normal human emotion, yet in need of right
direction. Our natural anger rises in
the face of injustice, rejection, or being treated unfairly but that's just the
feeling. And certainly, we may feel we
want to seek revenge against another person and that they don't deserve either
our forgiveness or certainly not our love for what they did to me or to
another. Which makes Jesus teaching a
headscratcher to say the least.
Did Gandhi feel anger? Did Dr. Martin Luther King feel like
returning violence for violence? I
wonder if St. Teresa of Calcutta ever felt jealous, angry, or tempted to pride.
I would guess they did but did they follow through, act upon their
feelings? No, and that is the
point. To recognize our natural emotions
as normal but we resist acting upon them. In there lies virtue. So to love our
enemies is to go beyond what is natural to express heroic love.
I remember hearing a story of the famed Cure
of Ars, St. John Vianney, the extraordinary parish priest in 18th century France
whose fame spread in time as a confessor and holy pastor. The thousands who came to see him would
jostle and push in the crowds around him and at times he would recognize his
rising aggravation. He once said that he
kept a handkerchief in his pocket and rather than speak angrily at a soul who
would annoy him, he would squeeze that handkerchief very tightly in his hand
discreetly and direct his negative energy into that cloth. Well, it apparently worked!
Rather than seek retribution and put gas on the
fire as it were simply to make myself feel justified I will instead offer a
peaceful and non-violent response. I
will raise myself to a higher level of behavior and instead seek to reconcile
or at least to offer love in the form of peaceful non-violent resistance and
forgiveness. Sin is in behavior and not in normal emotion. Of course plotting and scheming a retaliation
is sinful since the intent is to carry through. Yet, remember David in our
first reading.
Bishop Robert Barron speaks of gift giving as
a model for Christian love. Yet, when we
gift someone, we naturally expect some sort of return: another gift, a “thank you” note, something
even better than what I gave.
Jesus teaching demands far more. And God, in Christ, is the ultimate model for
what this means; to give gratuitously without expecting return. While giving in this way is in some way
contrary to our natural inclination we are called as disciples of Jesus to
model ourselves after him; after how God has given himself to us. If we love only those who love us thats nice
but normal. Jesus teaches: “Even sinners do the same.” So we are to be different and to make a
difference.
“Lend expecting nothing back . . . love your
enemies, do good to them . . . stop judging, stop condemning, forgive, give . .
. for the measure with which you measure will in return be measured be measured
out to you.” Now there in brief short phrases and words is an ideal examination
of conscience before confession. It will
surely bring out our personal stinginess, jealousy, pride, and prejudice. The whole sacramental system of our Church is
a gratuitous gift and the holy Eucharist is the greatest of all – Christ
himself given to us. We give thanks to God but will never be able to equal the
gift given which makes the Eucharist all the more extravagant love.
While the world might consider such behavior
foolish imagine the witness it gives to the call towards love rather than hate,
forgiveness rather than retribution, peaceful non-violence rather than active
violence.
May we not tire of doing what is right and
reach beyond our natural limitations but only by God’s grace given as gift out
of love.
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that, always pondering spiritual things,
we may carry out in both word and deed
that which is pleasing to you.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
(Opening Prayer of Mass)
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