Eye for an Eye-Tooth for a Tooth?????

Readings for February 20, 2011
7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Summary of the Gospel

In this Gospel Jesus goes for the moral ‘jugular’. Now that we have gotten over the shock that living a good moral life is more than what we do, that living a moral life is about converting our hearts, the Lord gives us a standard that is seemingly beyond our ability…and potentially beyond reason. He tells us very clearly that we must love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. In doing so, He says, we will reach perfection, not perfection in the sense of knowing everything, but moral perfection, a true transformation of heart. All we have to do is turn on the news and see one tragedy after another, or perhaps we have been victimized ourselves, and we see that this challenge by the Lord is virtually impossible. How can a person who has been severely hurt forgive? The Lord desires a total healing for all people, especially those who have been persecuted, and the only way that that will happen is through forgiveness. Often times the ability to forgive is not just a matter of turning on the forgiveness switch, but rather can take years to achieve, perhaps through counseling, sacramental reconciliation, and profound forgiveness from the heart. All of us should struggle with Jesus words in the sense that we should not believe that this kind of forgiveness is an easy process. What we should come to realize is that it is only through Jesus, the Crucified Victim of Calvary, that we can achieve this depth of love. Today we should practice, perhaps beginning on a small level, to forgive the wrongs that have been done to us. Perhaps today Christ calls us just to be patient with those who annoy us as a stepping stone to greater forgiveness. Perhaps today Christ calls us to ask someone, such as counselor, to help us begin a deep healing process. Regardless, let us take time to ponder Christ, who in the midst of terrible persecution forgave those who put Him to death. May we have the grace, each day, to reflect on the love and put it into action in our own lives.

Reading 1 Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18

1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.
17 “You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart. Though you may have to reprove your fellow citizen, do not incur sin because of him. 18 Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against any of your people. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”

Discussion Question:

1. In this context, who is one’s “brother” and “neighbor” (vv 14-18)


Reading 2 1 Corinthians 3:16-23

16 Brothers and sisters: Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy. 18 Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written: God catches the wise in their own ruses, 20 and again: The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. 21 So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you, 22 Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or the present or the future: all belong to you, 23 and you to Christ, and Christ to God.

Discussion Question:

1. Reflecting honestly on verse 20, is your Christian life more a matter of talk or of power?



Gospel Matthew 5:38-48

38 Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. 39 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 as well. 40 If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand over your cloak as well. 41 Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go for two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. 43 “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? 48 So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Discussion Questions:

1. Read over the Gospel passage again. Do you think Jesus was exaggerating, or was He speaking literally? Why?

2. Why does God allow terrible evil, injustice and persecution to happen? How does He respond to this?
3. What qualities ought to replace those desires for revenge?

4. Who are the ‘enemies’ in and of our society today? How would Jesus expect us to love them? Does this passage mean that we cannot protect ourselves from aggressors (See the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the right to defend oneself)?