Monday of 11th Week, even numbered year
“You have heard eye for eye, tooth for tooth; I say unto you, offer no resistance to the wicked. On the contrary if someone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well.”
Vengeance is to be proscribed, we need to enter into a dialogue, give way to our’ right’ and that is worth it, for peace is of such great value.
For Jesus, the enemy remains a brother for whom I keep wishing well. I therefore need to be ready to forgive, to keep up confidence for there is one day the possibility that the truth will be revealed.
This Word enlightens what is hidden in the secret part of us where there is violence and through this what feeds violence in the world!
’I tell you, do not hit back at bad people’ humanly speaking this is something impossible to do, but nothing is impossible for God.
In order to be converted we need to turn towards Jesus. The Gospel, the Good News, is a contemplation of Jesus who saves us. We need to integrate the mystery of salvation of the Crucified Jesus who saves us. To allow ourselves to be saved is to let ourselves be deeply transformed by Jesus’ face.
We say that it is by his death that Jesus has saved us, this is a way we can’t go back on : if we do not accept to die, we shall not enter into Life.
“If someone wishes to go to law with you to have your tunic, give him your cloak as well.”
This way comes about in realistic ways, Jesus leaves it up to each person to find the best solution, adapted to our capacities and to our circumstances. He proposes to us to practice non-violence : ’If you are chased after in one town, flee into another!’ Yet Jesus did not hesitate to go into Jerusalem where he knew he would be arrested. He doesn’t defend himself in the Garden of Gethsemane. He refuses to answer the Caiaphas’ question which would trap him, nor those of Herod and of Pilate. However when they hit him he strongly comes out with : ’Why do you hit me?’
Jesus knows how to forgive Peter who denies him and also to those who persecute him and hit him ’they ado not know what they are doing.’
One way of stopping injustice for the person who is cold is to give him something to wear, and so to stop any perspective of violence. We can do this if we remain in communion with Jesus who saves us.
’If someone asks you to go a thousand steps with him, go two thousand steps..’ Jesus wants us to go even further again in the understanding of our brother or sister, in the welcome we give to other people. The spiritual combat we are in is disproportionate : ’You are not struggling against visible enemies but ’invisible forces’. The adversary, the true enemy hides and this is freeing for us, helping us to hold out firmly when going through ordeals.
“Give to anyone who asks you, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away.”
When it is a question of Jesus, Jesus gives up his right, but when there is question of his mission or of the dignity of the Temple, he doesn’t hesitate to intervene in a very strong manner.
He doesn’t go gently with those who are full of themselves and are hypocritical. And it is with a whip that he chases the merchants out of the Temple for they are turning it into a den of thieves.
It is not easy to show a pleasant face when all around us aggression flairs up around us. As violence is on the increase it is easy to believe that it fair to be violent, whereas it is founded on lies, for the another person is not enemy! In order to become an artisan of peace we need to stop all violence!
At the Resurrection, Jesus says : ’I give you my peace, not as the world gives do I give it.’
This peace comes from a deep change of heart, it is the only one that bring peace to one’s soul.
Jesus wanted us to form a Body in his Eucharistic Body.
He transforms us from the inside so we become more like him.
When we celebrate Jesus’ Passion and the Resurrection, we are invited to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. Thanks to him we can stop any injustice and violence. Thus the huge happiness of God’s Kingdom is going to gradually be established in us and in the whole world.