After presenting the Beatitudes, the keys that reveal where happiness lies (the Gospel of yesterday, Lk 6:20-26), Jesus now indicates the way to reach that true happiness. It is a hard path full of thorns, but worth taking. His words, in the Gospel of today, are demanding.
“Love your enemies.”
How can we love our enemies? Does this not go beyond human capacity? It is certainly costly, but necessary. Let us look at some practical points: in professional relationships, in political and social debate, and even sometimes between friends and members of one’s own family, arguments occur from time to time. Most often, damages are inflicted and injustices are committed. There is usually humiliation, resentment, or revenge. When these occur, how are we expected to react? An eye for an eye? We can notice that when the response to these abuses is violent, the consequences are even worse. Using violence to respond to violence, in most instances, has proven to be an inadequate way of resolving a conflict. We need to find a way to approach conflicts which will not result in further conflicts. This is where Jesus’ proposal in today’s Gospel is creative and effective: only love is capable of disarming hatred.
Magna Carta
Pope Benedict XVI, in one of his Angelus reflections, stated that this Gospel passage should rightly be considered the Magna Carta of Christian non-violence. For him, this does not consist in surrendering to evil – as has often been falsely interpreted by some – but in responding to evil with good (cf. Rm 12:17-21), thus breaking the chain of injustice. Love of one’s enemy, according to Pope Benedict XVI, constitutes the core of the “Christian revolution”, a revolution not based on strategies of economic, political or media power, but which is a gift from God and is obtained by trusting solely and unreservedly in his merciful goodness. This is the novelty of the Gospel, which changes the world silently.
The Christian Path
Saint Josemaría recommends that we should not allow ourselves to be influenced by the memory of offences we may have received, by the humiliations we have suffered, however unjust, uncivil, and harsh they may have been, because it is not worthy of a child of God to keep a register containing a list of wrongs received. Yes, the Christian path is not easy, but it is a path of peace, joy, and love, which leads to happiness. When you harbour malice, you often remain unhappy. Only those who forgive are truly happy and blessed.
Let us conclude by reading together what Saint Paul says in his letter to the Romans, re-echoing the teachings of Jesus in the Gospel of today:
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rm 12:17-21)
Nice reflection. May the Lord give us the grace to love our enemies and live at peace with everyone around us.