The Christian Rule—Beyond The Golden Rule
1. Your Enemy Is Your Neighbour
2. Break the Spiral of Evil
Introduction
1. Your Enemy Is Your Neighbour
On seeing so much evil in the world, especially when that evil affects us deeply, is our reaction not anger and perhaps revenge? The message of today is this: do not let evil force you to fight it with its own weapons of evil. Fight it with the weapons of God himself: mercy, forgiveness, even love of the evildoer and prayer for the ones who have hurt you. Let us ask that in this we may follow Jesus; then we will surely be his disciples.
2. Break the Spiral of Evil
Rivalry, revenge, hatred, making people pay back any hurt done to us, these are the usual ways of our world. Today’s message tells us how to apply the sermon on the mount: how we should be makers and sowers of peace by forgiving and forgetting hurt, and so breaking the vicious circle of evil. Didn’t Jesus come to bring reconciliation with God and people? This is how he was the image of the Father. This is how we have to bring into our world something of the goodness of the Father.
First Reading: Love, Not Hatred
Even in the Old Testament, God’s people are asked not to hate others but to love people. The basis of this love is God’s own love for his people.
1 Reading: Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18
The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy. “You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart. Though you may have to reprove your fellow citizen, do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against any of your people. You shall love your neighbour as yourself. I am the LORD.”
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13
R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits. R.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion. R.
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. R.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. R.
Second Reading: We Are God’s Temple
By the power of the Holy Spirit, the Christian community is God’s dwelling place.
2 Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:16-23
Brothers and sisters: Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written: God catches the wise in their own ruses, and again: The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you, Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or the present or the future: all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God.
Alleluia: 1 John 2:5
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever keeps the word of Christ,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Love Your Enemies
Christ asks of us to have hearts large enough to be open even to enemies. We must overcome evil with good.
Gospel: Matthew 5:38-48
Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand over your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Commentary:
The perfection of the Jew was the exact observance of the precepts of the Torah. For the Christian, it is the boundless love as that of the Father. Perfect is one who lacks nothing, who has integrity, whose heart is not divided between God and the idols. The availability to give everything, not keeping anything for oneself, to put themselves totally at the service of people—including the enemy—puts them in the footsteps of Christ and leads to the perfection of the Father who gives his all and does not exclude anyone from his love.
Blessing
We have been taught a hard lesson today.
We are not pagans,
and so we must learn to love like God
with the love he showed us in Christ.
For us there can be no enemies,
only people like us,
with their faults, their problems, their animosities.
Who will take the first step to make up?
Who will repay evil with good?
Let us ask God’s blessing and strength.
May almighty God bless you all,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Let us go with one another
the extra mile in Christ’s peace. R/ Thanks be to God.