"You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."
- Matthew 5:38-48
In this week’s Gospel, Jesus is challenging us. As humans, we have a tendency to protect ourselves and go on the defensive when we feel threatened. This is part of our human nature and is a result of original sin. Because we are human, we sometimes fail to take in to account how our actions and reactions will impact those around us. It is this tendency that Jesus is asking us to think about.
Too often, we seek revenge when someone does something to us. If someone makes us hurt, we want to make them hurt just as much. But Jesus is telling us that, rather than seeking revenge, we should seek to make peace and love them. We are to be representatives of God’s love and mercy to all those we meet, whether we are friends or enemies. This is a truly radical thought, both in Jesus’s time and today. No matter who we encounter or what they have done, everyone is a child of God and deserves to be treated with love and respect, simply because they are human beings. Each one of us has an inherent dignity which must be respected.
This is not an easy task. It requires constant vigilance and attention to avoid falling into our old habits. But if you make the effort, you will find that the rewards will undoubtedly be greater than what it costs to achieve them. When you treat everyone around you with love and kindness, it comes back to you in ways you could never expect. Because it is so unexpected in today’s world, it can change the attitude of those around you. We’ve all encountered the person who lights up the room when they enter. Imagine if everyone was trying to be like that person. Imagine how great the world could be. Imagine it and then go out and make it a reality.