When Our Enemies Go Low, Let’s Always Go High! – the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time –Year A

My Sisters and Brothers:

     In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us “to love our enemies, and to pray for those who persecute us” (see Matthew 5:44).  We should be honest and confess this lesson is difficult to understand and/or to completely accept.  How can we love our enemies, and harbor no hatred in our hearts toward any other person, especially those who’ve harmed us?  Many thoughts may go through our minds as we contemplate this admonition, and it may actually make us feel very “conflicted.”

 
     After all, our world is filled with all kinds of “enemies” who may jeopardize us in one way or another.  Some threaten us on a global scale (those who cause wars, terrorism, genocide, economic oppression, and environmental abuse, would certainly fit into these categories); others may pose menacing threats to peace and justice within our society and nation (those responsible for religious and political intolerance, corporate greed, racism and bigotry, are examples that come to my mind); still others simply may be the immediate “enemies” we might face in our ordinary, everyday lives (threatening and marauding strangers, “toxic” people we know, abrasive community members, abusive employers, unfriendly neighbors, difficult family members, and the list goes on).  And so, as we contemplate the many different types of “enemies” out there, it may be difficult to endure any thought of replacing hatred for them with any kind of “love.”

     We might wonder if Jesus’ teachings about “love” and “hate” really apply to us, and so we may have the following types of thoughts: “Although I want to be faithful to Jesus in my life, actually I do want to hate my enemies; I want to hold on to my resentments toward them, and I find some kind of satisfaction when I allow myself dwell on the hurts of the past, and it’s delightful for me to calculate my revenge against those who’ve wronged me and others.  I rationalize all these feelings and thoughts because I’ve convinced myself I have the right to seek justice, and therefore the logical conclusion is that true justice involves punishing, or least ostracizing, those who’ve caused me and others any harm.  I’ve therefore assured myself my never-ending-rage is automatically absolved, because the gross iniquities committed against me and others were so ‘ungodly’ and were so undeserving of ‘love.’  The lesson of today’s Scriptures obviously doesn’t apply to me . . . or does it?”

     As we try to make sense of all of these feelings, it might be helpful to recall the words of the author of Leviticus found in today’s first reading.  He wrote: “You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart . . . though you may have to reprove your fellow citizens, do not incur sin because of them . . . you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (see Leviticus 19:17).  In other words, it will at times be necessary “to take to task” and “to admonish” others who might threaten, endanger, or menace us.  I’m sure this is what he meant when he said we may have “to reprove” them.  Clearly, this means sometimes we will justly need to assert “moral superiority” over others who have failed in one way or another, great or small.  But Leviticus also makes it very clear that we “must not incur sin” because of the ways in which we “reprove” them.  I believe this is where the part about “loving neighbor as yourself” is most poignantly tested and demonstrated.  And for sure, faithfulness to such counsel certainly isn’t easy!

     With all of this in mind, I suggest the following idea may help us resolve any “conflicts” about loving our enemies: Because we are “Godly people,” the “toxicity” of the “morally inferior” must never define who we are and what we’re called to be.  Therefore it’s always essential for us “to take the high road,” and never “to lower ourselves” to “hateful” and malicious ways of doing things, and/or to the cruel behaviors of our “enemies.”  This means Christians are actually called to be compassionate, forgiving, generous, honest, joyful, loving, patient, peaceful, self-controlled, tolerant and wise (among other things).  These “Godly” traits ought to define and empower our “moral superiority.”  And if so, they should actually render us incapable of “hating our enemies.”  Possibly, and if we do these things well, then our “enemies” may even change their ways and become more like us.

     There are complicated threats to our call to love others, and these might challenge us on so many levels–from those far-reaching to those affecting our personal and daily lives.  These threats may indeed cause us to feel very “conflicted” in so many ways!  But my friends let it not be so.  Instead, while dealing with our “enemies,” let’s always maintain the “moral superiority” that’s steeped within the Christian calling.  This is who we are, and so with this in mind, and as we’ve heard it said: “When our enemies go low, let’s always go high!” 

Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

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