7th Sunday 2014 Pagola

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

 23 February 2014

Mt 5: 38-48

José Antonio Pagola

A scandalous call

The call to love is always seductive. Surely, many joyfully welcome the call of Jesus to love God and neighbor. It was the best synthesis of the Law. But what they could not imagine is that one day he would speak to them of loving one’s enemies.

   However, Jesus did. Without the  backing of any biblical tradition, keeping his distance from the psalms of revenge which nourished the prayer of his people, going against the general climate of hatred that prevailed all about him, he proclaimed his call with absolute clarity: “I, however, tell you: Love your enemies, do good to those who calumniate you.”

   His language is scandalous and surprising, but totally consistent with his experience of God. The Father is not violent: he even loves his enemies, he does not seek the destruction of anyone. His greatness does not consist in taking revenge but in loving everyone unconditionally. Whoever experiences himself as a son of that God, will not bring into the world hatred or destruction of anyone.

   The love of one’s enemy is not a secondary teaching of Jesus, directed to people called to heroic perfection. His  call wants to introduce into history a new attitude towards one’s enemy because he wants to eliminate from the world destructive hatred and violence. Whoever resembles God will not nurse hatred against anybody, will seek the good of all including his enemies.

   When Jesus speaks of love of the enemy, he does not ask that we harbor feelings of affection, sympathy or warmth towards those who do us evil. The enemy continues to be someone from whom we can expect harm, and who with difficulty can change the feelings of our heart.

   To love the enemy means above all, not to do him harm, not to seek or desire to hurt him. We must not be surprised if we do not feel  any love towards him. It is natural we feel hurt or humiliated. We must get worried when we continue to harbor hatred and thirst for revenge.

   But it is not a matter only of not doing him harm. We can take more steps  until we are even willing to do him good should we find him in need. We must not forget that we are more human when we forgive than when we take revenge rejoicing over his misfortune.

   Sincere forgiveness of an enemy is not easy. In some circumstances a person can find it practically impossible to free himself of rejection, hatred or the thirst for revenge. We must not judge anyone from the outside. Only God understands and forgives us unconditionally, even when we are not able to forgive.