Today in Scripture

The Gospel today is from Matthew 5: 38-42:

Jesus said to his disciples:

“You have heard that it was said,

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.

When someone strikes you on your right cheek,

turn the other one to him as well.

If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,

hand him your cloak as well.

Should anyone press you into service for one mile,

go with him for two miles.

Give to the one who asks of you,

and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”

Just two things to note, briefly, about today's Gospel:
The Old Testament "eye for an eye" is often thought to be a command in favor of retribution. In reality, it was a restriction of pay-back to a proportional level (for instance, rather than killing all the goats of the entire family of a man who stole one goat, the victim was entitled to one goat in repayment). It was an attempt to rein in what could otherwise become an escalation of violence.

And rather than advocating weakness in response to offense, Jesus is calling for a deeper strength from his followers. Such generosity in the face of injustice comes from a mature knowledge deep down in our souls of what really matters in this life. Jesus isn't saying to 'make nice' for the purpose of avoiding future confrontation, but to be such a witness of goodness, patience, and long-term perspective, that your offender can't help but be disarmed, and perhaps changed for the better by your reaction. Now, he's not calling us to be doormats, to go looking for abuse, but in those situations of stress and confrontation, we are free to choose to react out of anger, or out of love. Which choice takes more strength?

Today in Scripture

Luke 14: 25-33
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.
Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce
all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”

Such extreme words!!  Hate my family? Take up my cross?
Renounce all my possessions?
Well, that's one way to get a big crowd to disperse quickly!

Scripture scholars tell us that in this context "hate" doesn't mean holding a literal contempt for our loved ones, but the word Jesus used was an exaggerated way of saying, 'love God above everything and everyone else'. Don't let any person or any possession get between you and your relationship with God.

And Jesus seems to be trying to give these people a dose of reality. So many people following a renowned preacher, a miracle-worker .... like groupies to a rock star.  Think about what you're committing to, he tells them (and us) through these examples; if you are going to follow me, there's going to be some cost involved.

For Jesus and many of his early followers, that cost was their lives. For us today, the price may not be as extreme. Still, pockets of anti-Catholicism remain in workplaces and some communities that could jeopardize your livelihood or simply make conversations uncomfortable.  Now you notice that Jesus doesn't say, "go confront your oppressors," or "argue your Truth with them" - he simple says, 'know it won't always be easy, be sure you are ready for whatever comes, and keep God first in your life'. If we can have the humility to not have to prove ourselves or our beliefs to others, but stand firm and secure in living in the love of God, that's one way to carry our cross as his disciple.  What do you think?