This Sunday’s Gospel includes an unparalleled teaching by Jesus; love your enemies. This teaching surpasses the Golden Rule; do unto others as you have them do unto you. The Golden Rule is a challenge but it does not effect the same transformation in the world as does Jesus’ commandment to love our enemies.
Loving our enemies stops the harmful relationship model, vengeful disposition, and violent behaviors that perpetuate suffering in the world. Loving our enemies instigates creativity in our relationships, dispositions, and behaviors. As Walter Wink indicates, creativity is at the heart of Jesus’ teachings in today’s Gospel about turning the other cheek, giving over our coat as well, and going the extra mile. Each action Jesus suggests is actually a quite creative way of dealing with people who treat us as enemies. An enemy-making master backhands a slave but with Jesus’ advice the man slapped turns the other cheek. The other cheek requires the master hit him with a fist but only equals fought with fists. The oppressed thus presents himself as a human being, an equal to be encountered. An enemy-making abuser exploits the indentured through financial oppression but with Jesus’ advice the oppressed goes to court and lets the abuser strip him naked. Under the law shame falls on the one causing the nakedness thus revealing the naked greed of the abuser. An enemy-making soldier violates our freedom by forcing us to carry his pack the proscribed mile but with Jesus’ advice we carry their pack an extra mile. Roman law curtailed soldiers’ corruption in order to keep an occupied population placated rather than angry. A soldier could press a civilian into only one mile of carrying his pack with harsh penalties for violations. Offering to carry it a second mile forced the soldier to beg for his pack. Rather than responding to supremacy, abuse, and violence with more of the same, Jesus is showing us how to transcend the pain and transform the person spreading it. He adds humor to the mix as well, showing Jesus’ truly creative ethic.
We can love in the radical way Jesus asks, for we are the creative life of God.
Prayer: Dear Friends, I am willing to give up retaliation and embrace creativity.
Question: Who is the enemy I am being asked to love?
February 23, 2014 Gospel Matthew 5:38-48 Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time