Seventh Sunday of the year February 20, 2022
1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23; 1
Corinthians 15:45-49; Luke 6:27-38
A certain monk was praying under a tree
beside a river. As he prayed the tide was coming and the river was rising. Then
he noticed a scorpion at the foot of the tree struggling for dear life as the
surging waves tried to drown it. The monk stretched out his hand to pull the
scorpion to safety but each time his hand came near the scorpion tried to sting
him. A passerby saw what was going on and said to the monk: "What are you
doing? Don't you know that it is in the nature of a scorpion to sting?"
"Yes," replied the monk, "And it is my nature to save. Must I
change my nature because the scorpion refuses to change its nature?"
Today's gospel urges Christians to remain true to their nature to love even
when the people around them remain adamant in their nature to hate.
The key theme that runs through
today’s readings is one of love. It is the new commandment that Christ left
behind at the last supper, inviting his disciples to love one another just as
he loved them. In the first reading, David shows how a Christian should respond
to the challenge God has given him by not killing the enemy. In the second reading, we hear Paul telling
the Corinthian community Christ the new Adam is different from the old Adam. He
invites his community to grow into the image of the heavenly Father by
continuously transforming themselves. Through his committed love, he brought
new life to people. In the gospel, Jesus speaks about loving their enemies and
sincerely praying for their persecutors which shows that only a religious
motivation could be a root of such a notable behaviour.
Today's Gospel reading is a
continuation of the teaching that began in last Sunday's gospel. We continue to
hear Jesus' Sermon on the Plain. Recall that in Luke's Gospel, this teaching is
addressed to Jesus' disciples. This is in contrast to the parallel found in
Matthew's Gospel, the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus' words are addressed
to both the disciples and to the crowds.
These words from Jesus' teaching are familiar to us. They constitute the
crux and the challenge of what it means to be a disciple: Love your enemies,
turn the other cheek, give to those who ask, do good unto others, lend without
expecting repayment, judge not lest you be judged.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a
tooth, life for life, was the practice among the Jewish community at the time
of Jesus and for centuries before. They indeed followed the Babylonian code of
Hammurabi. Jesus now sets up the golden rule of fraternal charity in place the
lex Talion, the law of Talion. Every person must truly love their neighbour as
they are truly their brothers or sisters.
What is more, is that Christ’s mission on earth has made him the son of
God and an heir to heaven. Our chief
interest in our neighbour must therefore be a spiritual interest. If he offends us he offends God which is much
more serious. Our charity must help him to seek God’s forgiveness. That he should understand that our
forgiveness is of very minor importance in comparison with divine forgiveness.
As Christians, our aim is to get all to reach the heavenly kingdom. Therefore when Jesus tells us go and do
likewise, it means we are to imitate him and fulfill the call of the Father.
Happy Sunday
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