Word to the Wise
Tuesday, June 19, 2018 - Tuesday in the 11th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Kgs 21:17-29 and Matt 5:43-48]"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]
I once saw a poster that said, "If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" If the prosecutor asks the one who has been arrested if he or she loves his or her enemy and the answer is "Yes," then there is more than enough proof! To love one's enemy is one of the most distinct teachings of Jesus. When Jesus challenges us to "be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect," that statement refers to the indiscriminate love of God for all people. We are asked to consider how narrow or broad our love really is. The word, "perfect," as rendered in the Greek text, means "whole" or "complete." We are most like God when we can love our enemy.
We may not know anyone nearby as an "enemy." After all, we may have been taught that the word, "enemy," refers to someone that our country is at war with. But if we discover in ourselves a bias against any person or group of persons that leads us to avoid them or support public policies against them, we are declaring that person or persons to be an enemy. Our sphere of love excludes them.
Christianity 101 continues to be a challenging course. Lessons like the one for today can tempt us to settle for a lower grade or even drop the course altogether. Perseverance and determination will help us to provide evidence for anyone considering "arresting" us for being a Christian! We can thank Jesus for teaching us how to be different without being hateful! AMEN