Seventh Sunday of the Year (Year A)

Seventh Sunday of the Year February 19, 2023

Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18; 1 Corinthians 3:16-23; Matthew 5:38-48

(Image Courtesy: Google)

One day, a man was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a young person reaching down to the sand, picking up something and very gently throwing it back into the sea. As he got closer, he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?" The young person paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish into the sea."  Why are you throwing starfish into the sea?" he asked. "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."  "But, don't you realize that there are miles of beach here and starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!"  The young person listened politely. Then knelt down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said..."Made a difference to this one."

This Sunday focuses on holiness and loving our neighbour. The first reading tells us not to bear grudges and gives us the Golden Rule. The second reading reminds us that all of us are God’s temples. And in the gospel, Jesus tells us that we must love everyone, even our enemies.

“Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.” So begins the first reading for today. But what does it mean to be holy? The word usually means to be set apart, unique, sacred. A holy object is set aside for a particular religious use. This certainly makes sense for the people of God. The story of the Pentateuch is about the Israelites being set apart from the people around them. But to what end? The rest of the passage makes it clear that at least part of the reason the people of God need to be set apart is to love our neighbours as ourselves.

The Code of Hammurabi (1793-1750 B.C.), a precept to the law of retaliation which we heard awhile ago: “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth (Matt 5:38, Ex 21:24, Lev 24:19ff) which was intended not to command to do violence but to set limits on giving vengeance for an offense.

In Leviticus, Moses seems to give priority to his own people, but Jesus tells us that this love, this holiness or this perfection, is required in our interactions with those who oppose us as well. Our neighbour now comes to include our enemies, both those who actively oppress us, as the Romans did the Jewish people in Jesus’ day, and those whom we oppress or think poorly of, as the Jewish people did the people of Samaria. Jesus makes this clear in his parable of the Good Samaritan and in his encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. The gospel message, Christ is telling us, is for everyone, not for the elect, not only for those in power, but even for those who are other than us. Because in the end, no one is other.

The passage concludes with Jesus saying, "Be perfect, then, as your heavenly Father is perfect." On the face of it that sounds like a commandment which cannot possibly have anything to do with us. Indeed, no one of us can even faintly connect ourselves with perfection. This obviously is an ideal, a goal to be aimed at. The perfection intended is not total perfection but rather to aim at that total impartiality of a God who extends his providential care and love equally to all. 

Today in our context, there are plenty of opportunities to rebuttal what others do and say. Evil and negativity is everywhere. Elections are nearing and the media is busy breaking for us the latest news of hate and violence. Can I reflect Jesus in my context today? May not be possible to make the difference everywhere and at every moment. Nevertheless, in small little way…. And say like that young man ..."Made a difference to this one."

 

Happy Sunday