Sunday's Gospel: Beloved Enemy
by Bishop Jesús Sanz Montes, OFM, Archbishop of
Oviedo OVIEDO, Friday, February 18, 2011 (ZENIT.org ) .- Here is the commentary on Sunday's Gospel, Seventh Ordinary Time (Matthew 5.38 to 48), February 13, written by Bishop Jesús Sanz Montes, OFM, Archbishop of Oviedo.
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reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 5, 38-48
At that time, Jesus told his disciples: - "You have heard it said:" An eye for eye, tooth for tooth. " I, however, I say, "Do not front that I do wrong. On the contrary, if one hits you on the right cheek, turn the other, to which anyone would sue and take your coat, give him your coat also required to whomever you walk a mile, go with him two, who calls you, go, and you borrow, not shun it.
you have heard it said: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor" and hate your enemy. I, however, I say: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. So you will be sons of your Father in heaven, who makes his sun rise on the evil and good, and sends rain on the just and unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even publicans the same thing too? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do you do special? Do not do the same thing the Gentiles? Therefore be perfect , as your heavenly Father is perfect. "
Word of the Lord.
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Jesus is explaining the Beatitudes in the Gospels of these Sundays. I hear that this time is particularly surprising, unexpected and hard to follow. Undoubtedly, so would those first hearers of these words of the Master. Then, as now, men had their subterfuge to drop off their "honrilla." It was not being violent or aggressive, but not stupid, and then coined that famous "eye for eye, tooth for tooth", the old law of retaliation. That is, no we will throw the first stone, but who seek us and challenge us to find will not go unanswered. Then comes our motto: "I forgive but not forget", which is a subtle way and impossible to reconcile disparate something as opposite as forgiveness and resentment.
Jesus comes and says: Love your enemies, to surprise those who insult you, confuse those who ask you something. Others will say different things, others will have their petty underhanded settling scores with his teeth and his eyes ... measured and weighed in the balance of their particular retaliation. It was not opportunism but to return to men the real possibility of returning to the image of a God who does not discriminate against anyone, who loves his enemies giving away the sun each morning to the good and bad, and sends rain on the righteous sister and the unjust. Jesus did not preach
simply a universal ethic, good civic education and rules of etiquette apply to everyone. He proposes something else agrees or not with what others can also think and propose. The count and weigh love, love that calculates the conditions calling for ... it is not interested in Jesus. That belongs to the heathen, who do not belong to the city of God and His people. Perhaps we think that we have no enemies of solemnity. Enemies of those to which one responds with modern missiles or romantic duels. But the enmity that Jesus invites us to overcome with friendship and hatred He urges us to transcend with love, can be very close, perhaps too close.
The love that Jesus offers us daily gesture should be made permanent. Because friends or enemies that we must either love can be found near or far, at home or in the next, can be a relative or a partner, frequent or surprised our paths in ways uncommon ... But this does not matter. No distinction is worth to dispense with all that mattered, the most distinctive and what differentiates us from the Gentiles (Mt 5.46-47): love. In this we recognize as his disciples.
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