7TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A

Leviticus 19:1-2.17-18

Psalm 103

1 Corinthians 3:16-23

Matthew 5:38-48

LOVE OF THE ENEMY 

In today's gospel, Jesus continues his Sermon on the mount. Contrary to the law of retaliation in the Old Testament, which regulated revenge in terms of proportionality between the punishment and the offense, Jesus proposes a completely different approach: no violence and resistance to the wicked, love of one’s enemy, praying for one’s persecutors, etc. 

Indeed, Jesus’ teaching may seem ridiculous, unreasonable and unacceptable in our world where human logic advocates for revenge, violence and demonstration of power; where forgiveness and not responding to “acts of provocation” are seen as signs of weakness and fear. While Jesus’ teaching may be mistakenly seen as a way of condoning injustices and evil-doing, the first reading seems more sense-making, for it invites us to show love and kindness to our own kind: no hatred for our brothers and sisters, to reprove our fellow citizens fraternally, no revenge and no grudge against any of our own people, to love our neighbours as ourselves.

Nevertheless, Jesus’ teaching finds justification in two statements from today’s liturgy: (i) "Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy" (Lev. 19:2); and (ii) "You therefore will be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). These are invitations to be like God, just as the saying goes “like father, like son”. In God there is no grudge, no revenge, no hatred; He is kind and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in love (Ps 102). He makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:45). As such, we are invited to show love even to those who do not merit it; something that may seem foolish to the logic of the world, which is foolishness in the eyes of God (1 Co 3:16-23). 

Finally, it could be observed that we Christians have a long way to go as much as love is concerned. Even the pagans reciprocate love, and the tax-collectors greet those who greet them. But as Christians we often fail to love those who love us; we hate our brothers and sisters; and look for the downfall of our own kind. Some of us do not even respond to the greetings because we hold grudges and resentment against those who greet us. As such, let us pray the Lord to touch our hearts so that we may not be worse that pagans and tax-collectors, but know that the best way to take revenge on one’s enemies is to love them.