7th Sunday in Ordinary Time – C
Today’s reading is a good examination of conscience for how we treat people, not how we treat the people we like, but he people we don’t like and the people who don’t like us. Jesus’ law stretches us to a point that almost seems irrational.
Is it irrational? No. It is beyond logic and reason – it is certainly counter-cultural! The love that he calls for from us is a love like God’s own love – unconditional!
When Jesus was struck on the face, he did not turn the other cheek, he asked, “why did you strike me.” He stood up for himself, but he did not retaliate and hit back, and that is the point. We do not have to become a doormat to be a good Christian, but we cannot fight violence with violence. If we do, rather than being an agent of love, we are just adding to the amount of violence and hate already in the world.
In the book, The Shack, by Wm. Paul Young, a man, Mackenzie “Mack” for short, is invited to spend a weekend with the Holy Trinity in a cabin. Mack was an abused child by his father and then had his youngest daughter murdered. Mack is filled with anger, hate, revenge, and no faith in God. But during the weekend visit with God, Father and Holy Spirit, all that changes for Mack. He sees his Father in Heavenly glory, embraces him, and forgives him. But when it comes to the man who killed his daughter, he has great difficulty. When Papa (God) asks Mack to forgive the murderer Mack says: “If I can’t get justice, I still want revenge.”
God and Mack have this dialogue and I want to share part of it with you:
(God) “Mac, for you to forgive this man is for you to release him to me and allow
me to redeem him.”
(Mack) Redeem him? I don’t want you to redeem him! I want
you to hurt him, to punish him, to put him in hell. . .” I’m stuck, Papa. I can’t just
forget what he did, can I?”
(God) “Forgiveness is not about forgetting, Mack. It is about letting go of another
person’s throat.” Mack, I am God, I forget nothing. I know everything. Because of
Jesus, there is now no law demanding that I bring your sins back to mind. They are
gone when it comes to you and me.”
(Mack) But this man. . .”
(God) But he too is my son. I want to redeem him.”
(Mack) But I do not love this man.
(God) Not today, you don’t. But I do, Mack, not for what he’s become, but for the
broken child that has been twisted by his pain.
Jesus said, “do to others as you would have them do to you.” The Golden Rule.
Do we have to just let people take advantage of us? Is this what being a Christian means? Not really. It means living in the faith that whatever good we do will come back to us. “The measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” It is with God’s own love that we are to love.
And how can we love with God’s love? Only with God’s help.
And that is why we are here today, because the Eucharist is the greatest prayer we have and offers us the greatest help there is. Bring to the table of the Lord all your hurts, your hate, your sins, your feelings for revenge, and leave them for God to heal. God loves us all and wants to redeem us.
God bless us, and all who live in simplicity of heart.