1 Kings 21 : 1-16,
Psalm, 5:2-3.5-6.7,
Matthew 5 :38-42 Full Readings
Saint Anthony of Padua
Jesus and Non Violence
Today's Gospel presents to us a teaching hard to accept and to live indeed but only if taken literally. Can you imagine someone slapping you on one cheek and you tell him in return, 'Come on, slap this side too?' Can you also imagine someone taking what belongs to you and instead of claiming it back, you add him more? This is what the Gospel presents to us when Jesus “You have heard how it was said, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well.” Matthew 5:38-39.
Looking at a literal sense of this teaching, Jesus really put it into practice. Jesus did mean what He said. He is the perfect example of this. Not only was He slapped on the cheek, He was also brutally beaten and hung on a cross. He was wrongly judged, tortured, and crucified on the cross. Jesus had the power to respond violently and even fight to defend Himself (Mt 26:53) but he did not not. Instead forgave all His persecutors: 'Father forgive them for they don't know what they are doing' (Luke 23: 34). Jesus in this way taught us not to return evil with evil but to return good for evil. He teaches us to be merciful in responding to evil people and above all not to be driven into evil by the evil acts done to us. Jesus does not call us to do anything that He Himself was not willing to do.
The Spanish proverb says: “To return evil for good is devilish. To return good for good is human. To return good for evil is godlike.” In our witness of the Gospel, vengeance has no place even as Saint Paul tells us: “Do not repay evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble right in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:17-21).
The Old Testament also has numerous quotes for us to be merciful and pray for our enemies: 'You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD (Leviticus 19:18). If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink (Proverbs 25:21). Do not say, "I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done" (Proverbs 24:29). Let him give his cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults (Lamentations 3:30).
Jesus follows this as He corrects the early written Law: "If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe" (Exodus 21:23-25). Such a law today seems cruel, but it was meant to limit vengeance/revenge as a first step towards mercy. This law was not normally taken literally but served as a guide for a judge in a law court for assessing punishment and penalty (see Deuteronomy 19:18). This law was corrected by Jesus by preaching love and mercy. Those who took the law literary forgot that the Old Testament was also emphasizing mercy and over of enemies as we have seen in the above quotes. We too sometimes can be tempted to take one verse of the Bible and take it literary or misinterpret without putting it in context in which it was written and in light with other relevant scriptures. That is why we need some trained people like the clergy and above all the Holy Spirit to help us understand the Scripture and avoid misusing and misinterpreting it.
When we repay good for evil we weaken the evil people who are doing the evil. You can't imagine that someone will keep quarreling you if you are quiet but when you respond by quarreling, that quarrel will end up in a fight and destruction. Repaying good for evil is a sign of inner strength, a spiritual strength like the one of Jesus and a non violent way of solving conflicts. We must not only avoid returning evil for evil, but we must seek the good of those who wish us ill. Remember what makes a disciple of Jesus Christ different from everyone else and what makes Christianity distinct from any other religion is grace - treating others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated - with loving-kindness and mercy. This what made Jesus the greatest on earth here.
Often times we feel like fighting back, taking a dangerous revenge but this will not surely solve the conflict. The only solution as Jesus teaches us is not to allow ourselves fall into malice and evil of the other doing bad to us, for by that, the evil one will have power on us. Jesus teaches us to respond with love and forgiveness, praying for our enemies and doing good to them. This will indeed make our enemies know they are the ones doing wrong and regret their actions. We have to also remember to love our enemies and always pray for them for if you merely hate your enemy, you have hurt yourself more in the spirit than you have hurt him in the flesh. Perhaps you don't harm him at all by hating him. But you surely tear yourself apart. If then you are benevolent to an enemy, you have rather spared yourself than him. And if you do him a kindness, you benefit yourself more than him. Christ ordered us to love our enemies for the sake of cherishing them but also for the sake of driving away from ourselves what is bad for us.
Our invitation today is to act like Jesus, to imitate Him the man of Non Violence. Reflect today on how you respond to injustices done to you. How do you treat your enemies? Is the desire for revenge burning in you? Pray that you will become a person of non violence and promote peace among all the people.
Let us pray
Lord God, teach us to love those who hate us; to pray for those who despitefully use us; that we may be the children of your love, our Father, who makes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. May this guide us to always work for peace. Amen.
Be blessed
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