Sunday Breakfast with the Word from Fr. Casmir Nkamuke: LOVE YOUR ENEMY!
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HOMILY FOR THE SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR C)
(1 Samuel 26:2,7-9,11-13,22-23; 1 Corinthians 15:45-49; Luke 6:27-38)
INTRODUCTION
In today’s liturgy, we are reminded that our vocation as Christians invite us to love and care for everyone, including our enemies and those who seek our ruin.
In the first reading, David spares the life of Saul who has been seeking an opportunity to destroy him. Unlike many who will interpret the opportunity David had as divine, he rather opted to show mercy and reverence to the king who is the Lord’s anointed. In the same vein, we are all God’s children. Any good or harm done to God’s creature shows our reverence or otherwise to God our Father.
Making a comparison between Adam and Christ, Saint Paul affirms that Adam represents all who are aligned to worldly standards, while Christ is the model for all whose thoughts and deeds are oriented towards the kingdom of God. As citizens of heaven, Christians are called to act and behave in ways that reflect our love for God, and resolve to do his will.
The gospel reading of today radically contradicts the thought pattern of the world with regards to reciprocity of actions. Inspired by a misinterpretation of the dictates of Moses regarding retaliation, many justify retaliation as Godly and perfect.
It is proper to note here that the command by Moses, cited in Matthew’s parallel of the sermon, was prohibitive rather than approbative in nature. It was meant to limit the extent we must not exceed when we want to retaliate. In summary, it simply states that our reaction must not exceed the corresponding action. This however is practically impossible.
Anyone who seeks revenge intends on inflicting more harm than he received, not less, nor even an equivalent impact.
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LOVE YOUR ENEMY!
In the gospel of today, Jesus gives a radically different solution with regards to restraint in retaliation. Rather than being preoccupied about not over-retaliated as Moses instructed, Christ instructs us to return love for enmity, good for hatred, blessing for curse, prayer for maltreatment, and Godlike compassion.
On the surface level, these recommendations make no sense. However, Jesus goes further provides the basis to justify his proposals. Our call as Christians demands of us a higher standard than the world demands. Furthermore, we are all children of a compassionate Father who neither discriminates in his show of compassion, nor deals with us according to our conducts.
Beloved in the Lord, Jesus’ invitation to love our enemies is more a favour than an impossible task. The best way to destroy an enemy is seeking his reconciliation. When we reconcile with our adversary, we lose an enemy and gain a friend at the same time.
By returning love for hate, the increasing damage and catastrophe that results from unrestrained retaliation is avoided and its place, peace and love increases in our world. Christ invites us today to convert the energy we should have used on retaliating on reconciling.
When we do so, we show we are true followers of Christ who spared nothing in his mission to grant us salvation. Through this also, we also attract limitless blessings to ourselves and the world.
May God grant us the grace to live as true followers of Christ. May he give us the courage to reconcile rather than retaliate, and to work more towards love and peace, rather than hatred and violence.
May God come to the aid of all experiencing various kinds of war and violence, and grant leaders to know than lasting peace is achieved through dialogue and reconciliation rather than war and violence.
Happy Sunday
#Chukwudalu
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