An Eye For An Eye

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

That sounds kind of fair, kind of just.

Especially in a less organized, less civilized, more brutal world.

One who does wrong should be punished.

That should deter wrongdoing.

One who is injured should have some compensation or retribution.

And so, we find the idea of an eye for an eye in ancient law.

It’s included in Hammurabi’s Code.

One of the world’s oldest written codes of law.

Decreed by Hammurabi, King of Babylon, almost 4,000 years ago in 1750 BC.

An eye for an eye is often cited as justification for the right to revenge.

And it was.

But it was also a limitation on the right to revenge.

If someone knocks out your tooth, you’re entitled to knock out his tooth.

You’re not entitled to chop off his arm, or to kill him.

An eye for an eye is well ingrained in our human instinct.

Revenge was already a long-established concept

Before Hammurabi came along.

About 300 years later, we see another ancient writing—the Book of Leviticus.

With the more merciful, less instinctive, law we heard in our first reading today.

Take no revenge against any of your people.

You are to love your neighbor as yourself.

And finally, 1400 years later, Jesus calls us to even greater love and mercy.

He repeatedly stresses our duty to help the poor and the suffering.

Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the afflicted, welcome the alien.

In today’s Gospel, he raises the bar another notch.

And we see how hard it can be to be his true follower, a true Christian.

Jesus asks us to go against our natural instincts.

To forego revenge against anyone, not just our own people.

To turn the other cheek.

To love not only our neighbor, but also our enemy.

To give to whoever asks.

We’re called to put mercy above possessions.

Put mercy above revenge.

Put mercy even above justice.

Pretty radical.

Who would do those things?

Well, if we’re true Christians, we would.

Or at least we’d be trying our best.

                                                                                                                              

But many today still live by the old, merciless, eye for an eye instinct.

Despite what Jesus said about it.

Despite their claims to be Christians.

So, we see that there are a lot of fake Christians.

They might call themselves Christians.

They might even think they are true Christians.

But many are not even trying to live up to the standards Jesus set.

The great Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi, a Hindu, greatly admired Jesus.

He often quoted the Sermon on the Mount.

He once said—If I’d ever met a true Christian, I would have become one myself.

But I never met one.

(Maybe he was looking for a perfect Christian rather than a true Christian.)

There's a pretty broad spectrum of people calling themselves Christians.

There are the extreme fakes, like that small, offensive Westboro Baptist sect.

People who actively work to spread hate and intolerance.

And explicitly claim to do it in the name of Jesus.

Then there are would-be Christians who actively work against Jesus’ commands.

Maybe intentionally, maybe not recognizing what they’re doing.

They fight against efforts to assist the very people who Jesus said we must help.

The poor, the homeless, the hungry, the vulnerable, the refugee.

The largest group of fake Christians are the more moderate fakes.

They give lip service to Jesus’ commands but make no attempt to follow them.

Finally, there are those who can be considered true Christians.

Christians at various stages of working toward perfection.

Christians sincerely striving to do as Jesus asked.

Christians who cheerfully share their time, talent and treasures to help others.

Who are happy to see their gifts and even their tax dollars go to help those in need.

Christians who recognize that they are indeed temples of the Spirit.

And that the Spirit will help them clear the dauntingly high bar Jesus has set.

Help them to love all their neighbors—including their enemies.

Help them to be merciful as our Father is merciful.

...

Lent begins just 10 days from now, with its fasting, prayer and almsgiving.

Rather than waiting till the last minute to decide what to do this year,

We can decide on one thing now, and even get a head start.

In our prayer, we can include a deep assessment of where we are on that Christian  spectrum.

We can open that conversation with God today.

Tune in and listen for his voice, that voice of the Spirit within us.

Discern what our next steps should be.

Ask, What can I do to grow further as a more genuine, merciful, true Christian?

Ask, What can I do to help transform this world into the Kingdom of God?

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mt 5:38-48   Read this Scripture @usccb.org