Lk 6: 27-38
Dear Friends,
Today we continue Luke’s Sermon on the Plain. The passage could hardly be more challenging. At the beginning and, near the end, we have the central message: love your enemies. In between is a list of individual actions that show concretely how we express this love. Jesus’ examples demand total generosity. There is no retribution in the face of injury and insult. No matter how gross the injustice, we are to have no claim of revenge. Everything in this text is an invitation to a non-violent response to open hostility. The actions Jesus sets out for us, challenge every level of common sense. This is the case whenever Jesus operates from the prophetic manner of speech.
Two common approaches to this difficult call of Jesus miss the point completely. One is not to take the teaching seriously as if it were just impossible to do. The second is to take the teaching literally as if we must respond specifically the same way in our life.
A third tactic is both doable and deeply demanding. Jesus is insisting on a fundamental attitude that seems foolish in comparison to the standards of the world but is a mirror of God’s attitude of unlimited mercy. It is sharing God’s attitude toward our enemies. This conduct strives to of be with one another in humility accepting the reality that we are all sinners. It is a way that leaves the judgment to God. It does the same with revenge. We recognize ourselves as sinners, unworthy of mercy and forgiveness while at the same time reveling in our gift of the immeasurable mercy of God.
Jesus is emphatic that God’s mercy includes the ungrateful and the wicked.
The specific examples in today’s passage are not rules of behavior. They are aimed at developing a general approach to life that avoids judging others, that is open to forgiveness and that is generous in loving. Jesus is calling us to expand the limits of our heart so we may be the vessel of mercy and forgiveness to all and, in particular, to our enemies. Once we declare someone “enemy” or judge the person, we create limits and barriers on our love. We get frozen in our hostile point of view.
Obviously, the love of enemies does not share same warmth and depth of feeling we have for our loved ones. We can, however, bless our enemies and pray for them. No matter how our enemies may insult, mistreat or injure us, we are called to seek what is good for them even in the midst of their continuing hostility for us. The words of the Our Father about forgiveness tell us a truth we so easily and regularly forget. Our lack of forgiveness closes our heart to God’s mercy for us.
In verses 33 to 35 Jesus is asking us to go beyond the ordinary. We are called to take the extra step. The measure of our conduct is neither our culture nor the common sense approach of our day. The seemingly nonsense of loving our enemies is only possible when we imitate our loving and merciful God. Jesus has shown us the way: doing good to those who hate us, blessing those who curse us, praying for those who offer mistreatment. God loves the sinner and the saint. All of Jesus’ life and teachings are a call to enter into the universal love of the Father. On the cross he captured it all in one statement. “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” (Lk 23:34)
Today Jesus offers us some concrete attitudes that we need to take on. “Love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.” (Lk 6:34-35)
