7th Sunday of the Ordinary Time (Year A)
Scripture readings: Lev. 19:1-2, 17-18; Ps. 102:1-4, 8, 10, 12-13; 1 Cor. 3:16-23; Mt. 5:38-48
This is a true story of a priest who set himself free from the cage of anger and unforgiveness. Fr. Marcel Uwineza was just 14 years old when he witnessed the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. He saw his father, mother, two brothers and a sister murdered during the civil war between the two tribes (Tutsis and Hutus). Even though he was an orphan boy, over the years, he joined the Society of Jesus; he received his formation and formal education, and he became a priest. During his formative years, he learned the spiritual exercise of St Ignatius of Loyola, and eventually, he forgave those who butchered his family.
In 2003, he went to visit his family’s grave, where he met the man who had killed his parents and siblings. Although he was released from jail by the government but he had not yet been released by his heart. The man knelt before him and said, Marcel, you know what I did but do you have space in your heart to forgive me? Fr. Marcel could not respond to him for a moment but another moment something engulfed him which was higher than him. He made him stand up and embraced him. The man felt the chains breaking away from his legs. He felt he was set free from prison. The next moment, he took him to a nearby pub, where he shared a drink with him and they shed tears together. Fr. Marcel says that forgiveness sets us free. When he was unable to forgive him, something engulfed him which was higher than him. What was it? Today’s liturgy of the word answers this question.
The first reading from the book of Leviticus gives us a code of holiness. The whole chapter is called the grand chapter of the book (ch. 19). The second verse is the key to the rest of the chapter. It says, “Be holy, for I the Lord, your God, am holy”. The remaining chapter gives numerous examples of how to be holy. The scholars state that the ten commandments are the foundation of the holiness code. Today’s scripture passage refers to one’s relationship with the neighbour. God gives them a golden rule; love your neighbour as yourself. This rule is a summary of our behavior with our neighbours. It says that one’s heart towards one’s neighbour is the determining factor in being as holy towards the neighbour as God is holy. God is forgiving, compassionate, merciful, loving and kind. God has revealed to us that we are made in his image and likeness. If we are made in His image and likeness, then we are called to be like Him. Taking revenge or hating our enemies is contrary to God’s forgiving nature.
In the second reading, St. Paul gives another reason for our forgiving nature. Paul faced a challenge of division in the church of Corinth. Each one was boasting about their leader (Paul, Apollos, Cephas). As a result, they underrated each other. Paul used the imagery of temples to correct their falsehood. He explained that God’s spirit dwells in the temple of God so also his spirit dwells in every baptized. These individuals make the church. If God’s spirit dwells in our heart and in our communities, then we cannot be divided among ourselves and we cannot underrate each other.
Jesus was the first in the history to give a new meaning to love of neighbours by calling us to love our enemies. He taught by his words and deeds. He invited his disciples to exceed their holiness that of the scribes and Pharisees. He elaborates it with six examples. We saw four of them last Sunday. We shall reflect on the last two on this Sunday. They touch upon the most common situation of our daily lives i.e. violence and revenge. Moses had taught the Jews to limit their violence and revenge. He gave them the legal principle called lex talionis (tit for tat) (Deut. 19:21). It was developed by Hammurabi in the early Babylonian period. It curtailed the inequivalent damage. It brought a lot of peace in their community. However, Jesus challenged this principle. He invited his disciples to go beyond the legal principle of lex talionis. He asked them to offer no resistance to one who inflicts evil. He illustrated it with three beautiful examples.
First, if someone strikes on your right cheek – turn the other one to him as well. A slap on the right cheek would involve a back (left) hand from a right handed person. The left hand was used to clean themselves after defecation in Palestine culture. Slapping with a back hand did not indicate physical assault but a disgracing gesture. In Mishnah (collection of Jewish oral traditions), it was considered far more insulting than a normal slap. The person was severely penalized for it. Jesus told his disciples to endure further insults by offering the other cheek.
Second, if some take your tunic – hand him your cloak as well. The traditional Jewish men wore two garments: a tunic (inner garment) and a cloak (outer garment). One could be sued for his tunic; but he could not be sued for his cloak because it kept him warm (cfr. Ex. 22:25-27). Jesus made astonishing challenges to his disciples to offer their opponent their outer cloak. In other words, the person was left naked. It happened in the life of St. Francis of Assisi. When he gave up his rights in property, his father challenged him to disown even his clothes because he had bought for him. St. Francis removed his clothes and walked out of his house naked.
Third, if someone forces you to walk for a mile – go with him for two miles. The Jews had one enemy at the time of Jesus i.e. the Romans. They forced them to carry their equipment for up to one mile. This was the Roman law. Carrying Roman soldiers’ baggage who were in constant conflict with the locals was quite annoying yet Jesus asked his disciples to show generosity and kindness towards their Roman persecutors.
This was an amazing teaching by Jesus. Each of the examples invites us to go beyond our human behavior which is governed by revenge and violence. Fr. Marcel joined the seminary but had not forgiven the murderer of his parents and siblings. When he forgave him, he felt liberated. He calls it a miracle because he was not able to do it but something overtook him. It is the spirit of the Lord which dwells in our heart that made him forgive his enemy. It is the nature of God which is there in us that made him forgive his enemy.
We are called to become aware of these gifts; namely, we are made in the image of God and we are the living temples of God. These two gifts will make us the people of forgiveness and mercy. Jesus was well aware of both the gifts. He said about the first one to Philip; “whoever has seen me, has seen Father (Jn. 14:9). And at another occasion he said about the second; “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” (Jn. 2:19). Jesus has shared these gifts with us, may this Eucharistic banquet help us to love our enemies like Jesus, our master.