Jesus’ teaching on love of enemies
Tomorrow is the seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. This coming Wednesday is already Ash Wednesday and therefore the beginning of the Lenten Season which is 40 days until Holy Week which ends not on the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, but after his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Today’s gospel reading comes from Matt.5:38-48 when our Lord Jesus teaches us basic things that differentiates human from the divine. In a sort of way, this lesson teaches us Catholics on how to be different than those that belong to other faiths. Here’s today’s gospel from Matthew 5: 38-48.
“38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
“43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
“47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Let me remind our faithful readers that today’s gospel comes from last Sunday’s gospel on the Sermon on the Mount, when the Lord starts his talk when he said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
So in a sort of way, this is not really a new teaching from God, but rather a fulfillment of the teachings of the old. In the beginning of today’s gospel, our Lord said, 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” This was the law that most nations observed for 2,000 years. While most nations have achieved a certain respect for human rights, there are still nations that observe this ancient law. I’m referring to those nations in the Middle East that still practices this kind of law, where women and children are still treated as chattel.
But the second part of this lesson is perhaps the most difficult or challenging teaching that our Lord Jesus is telling us when he said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” This kind of talk truly gives us an idea of how different it is in God’s kingdom, while all the kingdoms on this earth treat its subjects differently.
Again, it is against our human spirit to love those people who persecute us or hate us and this kind of teaching could only come from God because only God knows how to love even those who are unlovable. But loving one’s enemies can only begin with the act of forgiving one who hates you. Just take a good example from our Lord Jesus Christ. He suffered 39 brutal and painful lashes and beatings before crucified on the cross in Calvary. His first statement was “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Thus forgiveness is the first step to learning how to love one’s enemies as what God wants all of us to do.