VII Sunday:[A]:Lev 19:1-2,17-18;ICor 3:16-23;Mt5:38-48

VII Sunday:[A]:Lev 19:1-2,17-18;ICor 3:16-23;Mt5:38-48

Introduction: Today’s readings explains the holiness of the loving, merciful and compassionate God. God’s chosen people were, and are, expected to be holy people, sharing God’s holiness by embodying His love. The first reading, from the book of Leviticus, gives the holiness code: “Be holy, for I the Lord, your God, am holy.” It also gives us the way to share God’s holiness:   “Love your neighbor as yourself.” In the second reading, St. Paul gives us an additional reason to be holy. We are to keep our bodies holy because we are the temples of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of God lives in us.

Background: In the Gospel passages taken from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus condemns even the mild form of the “Law of the Talion, (Lex Talionis),” the tribal law of retaliation. Instead of the restricted retaliation allowed by Moses, Jesus gives his new law of love, grace, forgiveness, reconciliation and no retaliation. For Jesus, retaliation, or even limited vengeance, has no place in the Christian life, although graceful acceptance of an offense requires great strength, discipline of character as well as strengthening by God’s grace. The second part of today’s Gospel passage is the central part of the Sermon on the Mount. It presents the Christian ethic of personal relationships : love one’s neighbors and forgive one’s enemies. It tells us that what makes Christians different is the grace with which they treat others with loving kindness and mercy, even if they don’t deserve it. We have to love our enemies with agápe love, not because our enemies deserve our love, but because Jesus loves them so much that he died for them.  

Anecdote: An ABC News Poll says that almost 80% of Americans support capital punishment. 42% of that number say that they seek revenge for deeds done by the criminals. People advise, "Don't get angry. Get even." Uglies shout, "Get angry and get even." The Founder of our Firm says, "To return good for good is human. To return good for evil is divine." He wants us to be divine. He reminds us anger is but one letter short of DANGER. He tells us the best way to get even is to forgive as we have been forgiven. He wants us "always to keep a cool head and a warm heart." 

Exegesis: During their captivity in Egypt the Jews became familiar with the crude tribal law of retaliation (Lex Talionis = Tit-for-Tat), given by the ancient lawmaker Hammurabi during the period 2285-2242 BC. When this law was first developed, it made life better and more civilized. It restricted revenge and made it commensurate with the offense.  Moses instructed the Israelites to follow tit-for-tat retaliation, rather than to wreak total destruction upon their enemies. That is, instead of mutilating or murdering all the members of the offender’s family or tribe, they should discover the offender and only punish him/her with an equal mutilation or harm. Later, a milder version of this law was substituted. It demanded monetary compensation as decided by a judge in place of physical punishment. Moses also gave the Israelites several laws commanding merciful treatment for the enemy (e.g., Lev 19 : 18). By advising, “Turn to him the other cheek,” Jesus instructs his followers to forgive an insult gracefully and convert the offender. He commands that we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us to prove that we are children of a merciful heavenly Father. The meaning of "turn the other cheek" is “Don’t return insult for insult.” The message of Jesus is, “Don't retaliate.” Instead, we are to win over the aggressor with tough, wise love, so that we may win people to Christ and transform human society into the Kingdom of God.

Joke: It was about a month ago when a man in Amsterdam felt that he needed to confess, so went to his priest:  "Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. During WWII I hid a refugee in my attic."

"Well," answered the priest, "that's not a sin."

"But I made him agree to pay me 20 Gulden for every week he stayed." 

"I admit that wasn't good, but you did it for a good cause."

"Oh, thank you, Father; that eases my mind. I have one more question..." 

"What is that, my son?" 

"Do I have to tell him the war is over?"

Practical Application:  1) We need to have a forgiving heart : Jesus demands that we should forgive, pardon and be generous whether or not our offenders deserve it, and even if we are not loved in return. He also tells us to pray for those who willfully cause us suffering, hardship and unhappiness.

 2) We are to try to be perfect, to be like God : We become perfect when we fulfill God’s purpose in creating us, i.e., when we become Godlike by cooperating with His grace. We become perfect when we try to love as God loves, to forgive as God forgives and to show unconditional good will and universal benevolence as God does.

Intoduction: Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Message: Offer no resistance to one who persecutes you.  Rather, love your neighbor as you love yourself.  As the Lord is gracious and merciful, treat others in the same way, humbling yourself before the Lord.