1 Sam 26: 2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23; Ps 102; 1 Cor 15:45-49; Lk 6:27-38
During a homily, the priest asked, “How many of you have forgiven your enemies?” About half of the congregation held up their hands.
The priest inquired one more time, “How many of you at least have thought of forgiving your enemies? All responded this time, except one small elderly lady.
“Mrs. Jones? Are you meaning to condemn your enemies for life?”
“I don’t have any.” She replied, smiling sweetly.
“Mrs. Jones, that is very unusual. How old are you?”
“Ninety-eight,” she replied.
“Oh, Mrs. Jones, would you please come down in front and tell us all how a person can live ninety-eight years and not have an enemy in the world?”
The little sweetheart of a lady tottered down the aisle, faced the congregation, and said, “I outlived the bitches!”
(The story is from an unknown author)
Jesus asks his disciples to love one’s enemies. Notice carefully that the Lord is not only asking followers to forgo revenge, but to do something that would benefit their enemies. “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Lk 6:27-28). Many would consider this command not only impossible to do but also stupid. How could a person wish the enemy well? For instance, how could a person pray for the one who sexually molested her? Or how could a person do a favor to the one who destroyed his reputation? Would not revenge be the right way to counter an offender?
The Jewish law of retaliation (“An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth”) gives the offended party the right to seek damages in kind, even to seek life for a life (cf. Ex 21:24; Lev 24:20; Deut 19:21). In the first reading, Abishai tries to convince David that it is lawful to kill Saul because the latter also wanted him dead out of jealousy. Indeed, the law of retaliation would justify David if he decides to kill Saul, but he chooses not to harm the one whom he considers as God’s anointed. For David, it is better to leave Saul in the hands of God (1 Sam 26:10).
Retaliation appears to be the prevailing tendency of many people. Normally, we prefer to fight back or get even every time we are hurt or offended by another. We believe that natural law allows us to seek revenge for every harm or injury. Unlike David, we can hardly wait for divine justice and we rather take matters into our own hands.
The Lord Jesus, however, makes it clear that love, not revenge, is the proper response to enemies. Before expounding this point, let us clarify the meaning of some radical sayings that go side by side with the commandment to love enemies.
“To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again” (Lk 6:29-30). Careless reading of this text could lead one to do nothing in the face of evil, or to tolerate the unjust practices of people in society. When Jesus was slapped by one of the guards of the high priest, he did not turn the other cheek but asked, “If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” (Jn 18:23). Obviously, Jesus did not tolerate abuse or any wrongful action. Nevertheless, he also refused to retaliate. When somebody strikes us, we ordinarily react by hitting back. To turn the other cheek after being slapped means to do the extraordinary or the unexpected. In the face of evil, the Christian chooses to remain nonviolent and kind. When, for instance, somebody keeps spreading malicious thoughts against him, the Christian prefers to remain friendly and speaks positively about that person.
“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned” (Lk 6:37). Likewise, this passage must be read carefully because often it is interpreted out of context to cover up personal sins and social injustices. It is a Christian duty to judge as wrong the immoral behaviors of people, or to judge the unfair practices of companies and governments. In asking disciples not to judge, Jesus only mean to warn us not to pass ruthless judgment or condemnation to another person. Final judgment belongs to God, not to us. God alone knows the secret springs of human actions and only He is in good position to decide the case of every person. We, who can only see external appearances, may pass judgment on the sin, but never on the sinner.
Why do we need to love and forgive our enemies?
First of all, we need to love our enemies because, as Jesus says, we have to “be compassionate as our Father is compassionate” (Lk 6:36), we have to “be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). God “makes the sun rise on both the wicked and the good, and he gives rain to both the just and the unjust” (Mt 5:44-45). If our Father in heaven loves both saints and sinners alike, so must we.
Second, only love can stop hatred between individuals. Violence begets more violence. Imagine, for example, the fruits of the endless conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Consider also the product of the enmity between extremists from both Christians and Muslims all over the world. With hate, there will be no end to violence and bloodshed. Indeed, an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. We cannot extinguish fire with fire, only with water. The fire of hatred could only be stopped by the waters of love and forgiveness.
Third, only love can heal hurts and wounds. People would tend to believe that revenge pacifies the soul and repairs the damage done to oneself. This is hardly the case. In fact, hate injures not only the one hated but also the person who hates. The person who always tries to get even gradually becomes unforgiving and revengeful. Hate corrupts his soul and hardens his heart.
Finally, love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. The former US president, Abraham Lincoln, was often admonished by his advisers for being so amiable to his political opponents. His response was: “Am I not eliminating my enemies by befriending them?”
A grocer came to the Master in great distress to say that across the way from his shop they had opened a large chain store that would drive him out of business. His family had owned his shop for a century—and to lose it now would be his undoing, for there was nothing else he was skilled at.
Said the Master, “If you fear the owner of the chain store, you will hate him. And hatred will be your undoing.”
“What shall I do?” said the distraught grocer.
“Each morning walk out of your shop onto the sidewalk and bless your shop, wishing it prosperity. Then turn to face the chain store and bless it too.”
“What? Bless my competitor and destroyer?”
“Any blessing you give him will rebound to your good. Any evil you wish him will destroy you.”
After six months the grocer returned to report that he had to close down his shop as he had feared, but he was now in charge of the chain store and his affairs were in better shape than ever before.
(The story is by Anthony de Mello)
During a homily, the priest asked, “How many of you have forgiven your enemies?” About half of the congregation held up their hands.
The priest inquired one more time, “How many of you at least have thought of forgiving your enemies? All responded this time, except one small elderly lady.
“Mrs. Jones? Are you meaning to condemn your enemies for life?”
“I don’t have any.” She replied, smiling sweetly.
“Mrs. Jones, that is very unusual. How old are you?”
“Ninety-eight,” she replied.
“Oh, Mrs. Jones, would you please come down in front and tell us all how a person can live ninety-eight years and not have an enemy in the world?”
The little sweetheart of a lady tottered down the aisle, faced the congregation, and said, “I outlived the bitches!”
(The story is from an unknown author)
Jesus asks his disciples to love one’s enemies. Notice carefully that the Lord is not only asking followers to forgo revenge, but to do something that would benefit their enemies. “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Lk 6:27-28). Many would consider this command not only impossible to do but also stupid. How could a person wish the enemy well? For instance, how could a person pray for the one who sexually molested her? Or how could a person do a favor to the one who destroyed his reputation? Would not revenge be the right way to counter an offender?
The Jewish law of retaliation (“An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth”) gives the offended party the right to seek damages in kind, even to seek life for a life (cf. Ex 21:24; Lev 24:20; Deut 19:21). In the first reading, Abishai tries to convince David that it is lawful to kill Saul because the latter also wanted him dead out of jealousy. Indeed, the law of retaliation would justify David if he decides to kill Saul, but he chooses not to harm the one whom he considers as God’s anointed. For David, it is better to leave Saul in the hands of God (1 Sam 26:10).
Retaliation appears to be the prevailing tendency of many people. Normally, we prefer to fight back or get even every time we are hurt or offended by another. We believe that natural law allows us to seek revenge for every harm or injury. Unlike David, we can hardly wait for divine justice and we rather take matters into our own hands.
The Lord Jesus, however, makes it clear that love, not revenge, is the proper response to enemies. Before expounding this point, let us clarify the meaning of some radical sayings that go side by side with the commandment to love enemies.
“To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again” (Lk 6:29-30). Careless reading of this text could lead one to do nothing in the face of evil, or to tolerate the unjust practices of people in society. When Jesus was slapped by one of the guards of the high priest, he did not turn the other cheek but asked, “If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” (Jn 18:23). Obviously, Jesus did not tolerate abuse or any wrongful action. Nevertheless, he also refused to retaliate. When somebody strikes us, we ordinarily react by hitting back. To turn the other cheek after being slapped means to do the extraordinary or the unexpected. In the face of evil, the Christian chooses to remain nonviolent and kind. When, for instance, somebody keeps spreading malicious thoughts against him, the Christian prefers to remain friendly and speaks positively about that person.
“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned” (Lk 6:37). Likewise, this passage must be read carefully because often it is interpreted out of context to cover up personal sins and social injustices. It is a Christian duty to judge as wrong the immoral behaviors of people, or to judge the unfair practices of companies and governments. In asking disciples not to judge, Jesus only mean to warn us not to pass ruthless judgment or condemnation to another person. Final judgment belongs to God, not to us. God alone knows the secret springs of human actions and only He is in good position to decide the case of every person. We, who can only see external appearances, may pass judgment on the sin, but never on the sinner.
Why do we need to love and forgive our enemies?
First of all, we need to love our enemies because, as Jesus says, we have to “be compassionate as our Father is compassionate” (Lk 6:36), we have to “be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). God “makes the sun rise on both the wicked and the good, and he gives rain to both the just and the unjust” (Mt 5:44-45). If our Father in heaven loves both saints and sinners alike, so must we.
Second, only love can stop hatred between individuals. Violence begets more violence. Imagine, for example, the fruits of the endless conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Consider also the product of the enmity between extremists from both Christians and Muslims all over the world. With hate, there will be no end to violence and bloodshed. Indeed, an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. We cannot extinguish fire with fire, only with water. The fire of hatred could only be stopped by the waters of love and forgiveness.
Third, only love can heal hurts and wounds. People would tend to believe that revenge pacifies the soul and repairs the damage done to oneself. This is hardly the case. In fact, hate injures not only the one hated but also the person who hates. The person who always tries to get even gradually becomes unforgiving and revengeful. Hate corrupts his soul and hardens his heart.
Finally, love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. The former US president, Abraham Lincoln, was often admonished by his advisers for being so amiable to his political opponents. His response was: “Am I not eliminating my enemies by befriending them?”
A grocer came to the Master in great distress to say that across the way from his shop they had opened a large chain store that would drive him out of business. His family had owned his shop for a century—and to lose it now would be his undoing, for there was nothing else he was skilled at.
Said the Master, “If you fear the owner of the chain store, you will hate him. And hatred will be your undoing.”
“What shall I do?” said the distraught grocer.
“Each morning walk out of your shop onto the sidewalk and bless your shop, wishing it prosperity. Then turn to face the chain store and bless it too.”
“What? Bless my competitor and destroyer?”
“Any blessing you give him will rebound to your good. Any evil you wish him will destroy you.”
After six months the grocer returned to report that he had to close down his shop as he had feared, but he was now in charge of the chain store and his affairs were in better shape than ever before.
(The story is by Anthony de Mello)
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