February 19, 2023 (Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A)
In the Gospel for today (Mt. 5:38-48) Jesus continues with his Sermon on the Mount. He takes the opportunity to elaborate on his teaching of the Law. For as he explained last week, he came, not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it, that is clarify and perfect it.
Last week Jesus used many examples of antithesis, or contrasts, to describe forbidden behavior. He used these to explain the law noting that disobedience of less serious laws often leads to more serious breaches that are unacceptable. For example, how anger against a brother can turn into murder. How lust escalates into adultery. And how making oaths can lead to false swearing.
The theme for the First Reading (Lev. 19: 1-2, 17-18) gives an introduction to what follows in the Gospel. It comes from a teaching that the Lord gives to Moses. God wants His chosen nation to be holy, like the Lord is holy. This involves love instead of hatred for a brother or sister. It also hinges on the lack of revenge on a fellow citizen. The people are not to incur a grudge against their fellow man. Rather, they are to cherish others, loving them as one loves themselves.
Jesus expands on both of these topics, revenge and love, in the Gospel. The first law that Jesus discusses is a law of retribution, so that the act committed equals the punishment – an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Jesus takes this law a lot further by suggesting that a person should not resist the evil doer. Rather they are to turn the other cheek, instead of repaying by only taking the other’s eye or tooth. In fact, if the evil doer would take a person’s shirt, Jesus says, the victim should also give his coat. Jesus says give to anyone who asks to borrow, whatever they wish to borrow.
Jesus continues the second portion of the passage with many lessons on love. They are shocking verses which consist of loving and praying for one’s enemy. For it is easy to return love for love, but difficult to love one’s nemesis. Jesus qualifies further. Even the tax collector and Gentiles have enough virtue to love in return for love. But to be perfect one must also love outsiders, this is the path to holiness.
To seek and live these laws of mercy and love is our duty as Christians. Jesus exhibited this behavior many times in his ministry as an example for his disciples and an example for us as well. If we find it rather difficult to follow these instructions from Jesus, we can get a demonstration of how to act from the Lord with the words from our Responsorial Psalm for today (Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13).
“The Lord is kind and merciful. He pardons all your iniquities, heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction, crowns you with kindness and compassion. Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. Not according to our sins does he deal with us, nor does he requite us according to our crimes. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.” And as the Lord has compassion on his children, we must have compassion on others as he taught us.
