7th Sunday of Ordinary Time, CYCLE A

Today’s Gospel message is as simple as it is radical: Love others – all others – as God loves us. Much easier said than done. Before the dawn of civilization, the LAW OF THE JUNGLE meant survival by any means possible, unrestrained by any codes or societal norms. Even civilized peoples see revenge as a valid form of punishment. But when the punishment meted out in vengeance is too severe, the criminal becomes the new victim, who in turn seeks his own revenge. Hate begets hate. Breeds vicious cycles that led to many blood feuds among tribes and families. Some countries still have draconian laws where the punishment does not fit the crime. In present day Iran, for example, those protesting against the government have been sentenced to death by public hanging. The word “Draconian” is attributed to the ruler Draco, of ancient Athens, known for his cruel, barbaric and ruthless punishments. Draconian laws were said to have been written in blood instead of ink, and almost all crimes, even minor offenses, were punishable by death. Today, we might cringe at the idea of an eye or an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand. But for the people of Israel, this law of Moses – eye for an eye – was the cornerstone of justice. Before this law, retaliation and punishment could be excessive and disproportionate. Eye for an eye laws were designed to make the business of vengeance and retaliation more “civilized.” Those seeking revenge were not allowed to take more than what was fair. If an enemy took one eye, the old law would allow the aggrieved to take one eye from his enemy, but no more. Eye for an eye laws were meant to ensure that the punishment fit the crime. The civil laws and criminal codes of most nations adhere to this principle. In fact, the strict prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment is enshrined in the Eighth Amendment of our Bill of Rights. 2,000 years ago, God became man to show us a better way, and we are still struggling to learn and live by the Great Command to love God and neighbor. Christians - those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ – have been called to live by a much higher standard than the law of the jungle or even the Mosaic law of eye for an eye. Today’s Gospel is a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus teaches his followers how to live and relate to one another. His teachings are a radical departure from our human nature: Love your enemy. Pray for those who persecute you. Before we talk about what this means in our present day lives, consider how extremely radical the Sermon on the Mount would have been to those in attendance. The people of Israel were exasperated, living a hard life. Roman rulers controlled their land, took their money, and raped their women. Those who tried to resist Roman rule paid a severe price. The people of Israel were anxious for the arrival of their messiah. Could this man, who people were calling Jesus of Nazareth, be the anointed one? Many believed so. Many more hoped so. Jesus was able to heal the sick and drive out demons. He had the lame able to walk again, the blind able to see again. Even the dead were brought back to life. Not a big surprise then, that Jesus was attracting large crowds. One day, Jesus lead the crowds up a mountain in Galilee for the Sermon on the Mount. In those days, the hill country of Galilee was a refuge for Jewish revolutionaries who were plotting their assaults against their oppressors. So when Jesus led His followers up a mountain in Galilee, some were expecting that He was going declare himself King, prepare his followers for a revolt, and lead his people in the fight for freedom. The crowd waited in anticipation for Him to speak. Jesus then began to address crowds with a startling message. He introduced an unexpected lineup of those who would be blessed in the Kingdom: Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are those who are persecuted. Talk about a shock. What kind of movement was this? Jesus was blessing all the wrong people. The peacemakers, the merciful, and the persecuted were not first -round draft picks for a team that could fight for freedom. Many would have preferred vengeance over mercy, vindication over persecution, and fighting their oppressors over making peace. But, Jesus challenged his followers to act contrary to their human nature by loving even their cruel Roman oppressors. Your enemies are not adversaries to be conquered with violence, he told them. They are your brothers and sisters who are to be loved and their hearts won over for God. After Jesus lays out the Be-Attitudes, teaching his followers how to "be" with one another and what attitude they should have, blessed are the meek, the humble, the peace-makers, the persecuted, he doubles-down. When someone strikes you in the face, turn and give them your other cheek. Pray for those who persecute you. Love your enemy. These are the high standards Jesus asks us to live by. To be honest, I might prefer the law of Moses, “an eye for and eye, a tooth for a tooth.” You slap me, I slap you. You hurt me, I hurt you. Seems fair and reasonable. Far more satisfying to return fire with fire, than to turn the other cheek. This “tit for tat” mentality is entrenched in our relationships, even down to the most trivial of things. If my wife scratches my back for 10 minutes, I’ll scratch hers for 10 minutes, and no more. We insist on our fair share. We want to be even steven. We even worry about keeping things even when we exchange gifts. I spending $100 on her gift, so she better spend that much on me. Am I right? But that’s messed up. A gift is something freely given. If I am expecting something of equal value in return, how can I say it's a gift? In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus encourages us to rise above all the pettiness. How we treat others should not depend on how they treat us. I know, seems so counter-intuitive. If someone hurts us, we want to get even. Sometimes, the desire for revenge is so deep, the desire turns to obsession, and the obsession controls our lives. When Jesus told his followers in last week’s Gospel that their righteousness must surpass that of the Scribes and the Pharisees, this is what he was taking about. "I say to you…if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other." Why turn the other cheek? Because hate multiplies like a seed. Take ten men standing in a row. Teach the first man to strike the second. The second will strike the third. Soon, the hatred will spread to all ten. The only way to stop this cycle of violence is for one of them to turn his other cheek. That's how the cycle of violence can end. Family violence perpetuates from one generation to the next when our children learn violence from their parents. 
An “eye for an eye” system of justice does place limits on the evil of retaliation, but there is no life rooted in vengeance, even when the retaliation is "measured and fair." “Getting even” brings no joy, or grace, or life into our relationships. The Gospel challenges us to live to live beyond a tit-for-tat mentality. We cannot repay evil with evil, even if it seems like the fair thing to do. Jesus was not satisfied with a law that merely places "fairness limits" on the evil we can do. Instead, he taught us God’s law of love that places no limits on the good we can do. Love heals the infections caused by the wounds of hate. Notice that Jesus does not withhold his love for anyone. His love does not depend our response. He loves us even when we do not love him, or acknowledge him, or sin against him. In all of Scripture, not once did Jesus condition his love and mercy on what he might get in return. Jesus teaches us a better way and encourages us to live by a much higher standard. You might even say an impossible standard. But what is impossible for man is possible for God. It is He, and only He, who gives us the capacity to rise above our human nature and live and love more like Him. How does He give us this capacity? God became man so that we might be able to share his divinity. During Holy Mass, when the priest or deacon prepares the Chalice, we pray, "By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity." This is why God became man...so that we might become more like God. God gives each of us a soul, a share of His divinity. He provides all that we need to live extraordinary lives: the power to love even when we are hated, the grace to sacrifice our own interests for the welfare of others. Without a share of His divinity, we would be living by the law of retribution, if not the law for the jungle. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us self-crucifixion, dying to self for a greater good. By loving those who hate us; forgiving those who hurt us; blessing those who curse us. These are the hard things to do, but what is impossible for man is possible for God. It's the divinity within us - our God-given heart - that compels us to care for the sick, cloth the naked, and give food to those who are hungry. Rooted in God’s grace, we are able to love and serve others without concern over what we might get in return. Our capacity to love is infinite, but only because our Creator's love for us is infinite. A philosopher once said, “The standards of Christianity are either the standards of a madman or the standards of a God who has way too much faith and trust in human beings.” This Ash Wednesday, we are minded of our humanity. But, we are also reminded that our Creator trusts us to live and love by His high standards. After all, He made us in His image and likeness. As we continue with the Sacrifice of this Holy Mass, please pray for Bishop David O’Connell, a long-serving Catholic bishop who was shot and killed in Los Angeles yesterday, a victim of the law of the jungle. Bishop David was known as a peacemaker. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.