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 who 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".
The Word in other words
Now and then, we read in the newspaper that a certain airport personnel or taxi driver returned to its owner a bag of money found in the airport or a taxi, The finder could have used the money to answer some personal or family need, but she/he stood by her/his principles and returned that money. Such honesty is nowadays a rarity and for that reason the finder's story becomes a national news item.
Can we correctly say that such an honest guy loves his neighbor? Certainly, for he did what he knew to be good for the other person. And that is love--- to do what is good for the other. In returning the money to its owner, he did what love requires of him to do in such a situation. How about us? When making a choice or a decision, do we tell our self that we should do what love requires?
In today's readings, Jesus warns us against the unloving attitude of revenge - an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Our Lord is telling us we should love our neighbor. And love means not just refraining from revenge but taking an extra mile for the one we love. Jesus tells us that when we love others, we should also love our enemies.
Doing things which are good and beneficial to the one we love is the language of love. And doing things out of love should not be burdensome to a loving person. And doing things out of love should not be burdensome to a loving person. Where there is love, there is no labor but delight: ubi amatur, non laboratur; aus si laboratur, labor amatur. When we speak the language of love, we do not preset or predetermine how far or to what extent we will show our love and concern for the other. Look at Jesus "our Tremendous Lover" --- He loves us without measure. Indeed, in the words of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, the only measure of love is to love without measure.
- Fr. Ernesto M. Lagura SVD (USC, Cebu City)
