On Christian Perfectibility!

 The “Something More” of Jesus!!

(Homily 7^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr. C)

      In the course of human history, there have been numerous revolutions, ranging from political, for instance the passage from Roman Empire to the Barbarian Empire; social like the abolition of slavery; economic like the passage from industrial revolution to electronic revolution, to religious and cultural revolutions. However, experience so far confirms that every revolution brings about a change in paradigm and in the mode of life and the behavior of men and women. Above all these ephemeral revolutions, there subsists a permanent revolution in the history of mankind, and that is the Christian revolution. This indeed, is an authentic and insuperable revolution, for it has been realized and it continues to be realized with love. Truly, the story of love between God and man, taken to its dramatic and existential conclusions by Jesus revolutionized and continues to revolutionize the human history. He who loves participates in this existential continuous revolution. It is with this interpretative key that we will understand better the density of Jesus’ teaching on “something more” of Christianity, orchestrated by love of the enemies and generosity towards all, without ifs and buts, without frontiers. The pivot around which revolves the central message of this Sunday is generosity. The generosity of David towards Saul, who was persecuting him and was after his life as demonstrated in the first reading. In the Gospel Jesus insists on the generosity of a Christian towards all men and women, to the extent of loving one’s enemies, in imitation of the heavenly Father. At last, St. Paul in the second reading affirms the generosity of Christ, who as a life giving spirit through his resurrection vested us with the image of the new man.

     The passage of the first reading (1Sam. 26:2,7-9,12-13,22-23) proposes David as a sublime example. He could have killed Saul in order to retaliate for all the evil he (Saul) did to him. Instead, he spared him, he saved his life. He demonstrated an incredible generosity and magnanimity of heart, that even Saul admired his gesture. The first book of Samuel contains two versions of the episode where David spared the life of King Saul, even after been haunted by him. We see the other version in the 24^th Chapter (vv.1-22). In any case, the two versions differ in the detail and narration of the event; however, both reflect one of the fascinating characters of David, his magnanimity. Furthermore, in the two versions we see what could be called the royal ideology, as a result of which David didn’t want to put his hand against the Lord’s anointed. Be that as it may, this magnanimity demonstrated by David which in no small way is a manifestation of the density of authentic forgiveness, makes the message of the first reading to interlace into that of the Gospel, on Jesus’ invitation to forgive others, as God has forgiven us. The Psalmist emphasizes on the kindness and mercy of God thus “It is the Lord who forgives all your sins, who heals every one of your ills” (Ps.103:3), it really serves as a response to the first reading and the Gospel.          

     The passage of the Gospel of St. Luke (Lk. 6:27-38) constitutes the apex of Christian perfection or perfectibility. They are imperatives that at first sight might be considered utopic, or better ideals reserved for a very few individuals. In truth, it is simply about Christian ideals for whoever wants to be and is a true disciple of Christ; he/she has to be inspired in his/her conduct to these imperatives. For that is the road of Christian perfection. What are these imperatives? What does Jesus require from those who follow Him? He asks that we love, that we love all without ifs and buts, without conditions. He therefore, invites us to love not only those who love us and do good to us. More than that, he calls us to love those who hate us, those who are indifferent to us. He calls to love our enemies, to love them not with abstract sentiments, but in concrete terms, that is by doing good to them. As such, he expects us not to react to violence with violence, hatred with hatred, but with mercy and love. Jesus teaches us the criterion on which our dealings and rapport with others should be based, and it is two dimensional: “Treat others as you would like people to treat you” (v.31) and “Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate” (v.36). Indeed, whoever desires to be a child of God has to imitate Him (God), who is benevolent even “to the ungrateful and the wicked” (v.35).

      In the Bible we find the logic of equivalence, this logic appears under two different forms. The first has to do with justice over the evil received. This is the law of retaliation: “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” (Ex. 21:24). When it was first formulated it appeared really to be a step ahead of vengeance that was demanding double, to justice that was demanding of equity in restitution. But this formulation is not Christian, for Jesus teaches: “Do not pay evil with evil” (cf. Mt. 5:38-42). Unfortunately, after so many years of Christianity, there are still Christians who continue to apply the law of retaliation. We find the second formulation in the Gospel: “Treat others as you would want them to treat you”. In the Old Testament, this “golden rule” was formulated negatively thus: “Do to no one what you would not want done to you” (Tb.4:15). The formulation of St. Luke is positive, and it is not situated on the level of justice, but on love. This indeed, is fully a Christian formulation, but still imperfect and incomplete. It is imperfect because the reference point is the I, man. It is incomplete because the expression “the others” in the common mentality at that time, refers to Jews, and excludes non-Jews and enemies. The logic of equivalence in the order of love, is Christian, but the radicality of our faith supersedes the logic of equivalence, and reaches to the logic of “something more”.

     In the Old Testament we encounter some figures who lived the logic of “something more”, even though the formulation of this logic could be traced to Jesus. In effect, the first reading exposes the generous gesture of David towards King Saul. Jesus formulates the logic of “something more” in terms that are humanly disconcerting: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly” (vv.27-28) and again, “Instead, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend without any hope of return” (v.35). The human mentality asks us to hate our enemies, but Jesus calls us to love them. The human mentality demands that we do evil to those who hate us, but Jesus calls us to do good to them. The human mentality asks us to curse those who curse us, but Jesus invites us to bless them. The human mentality demands that we take interest while lending, but Jesus demands that we should ask for nothing in return. The human mentality asks us to pay back calumny with calumny, but Jesus asks us restitute calumny with prayer. This indeed is the essence of Christianity. It is the “something more” of Jesus.

     Upon proper observation, we see that the first two paragraphs of this passage are in correspondence with the antithesis in Mathew’s Great Sermon: “You have heard… But I say to you” (Mt.5:43-44). This is implicit in the Lucan version, because the love of one’s enemy was not a current Jewish teaching. Therein, “enemies” stand to indicate non-Israelites. At the end of the second paragraph we find an interesting saying thus: “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful”. But St. Mathew placed much interest on the idea of perfection, and the saying instead goes thus: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”. As a matter of fact, this annotation is indeed a thing to go by, for man’s dealings with his fellow man should be a reflection of the treatment he receives from God. In the third paragraph St. Luke talks about judging, condemning and forgiving. In the preceding paragraph emphasis was laid on the imitation of God’s treatment towards us. In this paragraph the emphasis instead is on God’s kind response to our positive or negative behavior towards others. This, by no means suggests a quid pro quo rapport between Christian ethics and reward, rather, it revolves around the pivot that as God in his Son, Jesus Christ continues to show us forgiveness; we are called to do same to others. As such, the Christian ethics is an ethics of response, response to what God in Christ has shown and given to us.

      From the Gospel emerges that “something more” that Jesus requires from his disciples. As such, the “something more” that Jesus demands from his followers is proper to Christian perfection. The “something more” of Jesus is really exigent, at least judging from human standard. Therefore, one may ask: why does Jesus require this from his followers? Indeed, the teaching and exigencies of Jesus are based on three principles: ●First, it has a sapiential dimension of a common ethics: “Treat others as you would like people to treat you” (v.31), it entails that we should not do to others what we do not like others to do to us. ●Second, it has a supernatural dimension, of faith, and it is the example of the Heavenly Father that we are called to imitate: “Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate” (v.36), He “is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked” (v.35b). He is indeed, kind towards all sinners, towards us all. The Psalmist captured vividly well the density of the Father’s mercy thus: “He forgives all our guilt…he doesn’t treat us according to our sins, he doesn’t repay us according to our guilt” (Ps.103:3.10). ●Third, is the eschatological dimension, related to the divine judgment, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven” (v.37). Once again, a closer and a thoughtful glance at the “something more” of Jesus reveals that they are demands with recompense. Therefore, we have nothing to lose if we are merciful and good towards our neighbors; rather our reward is in view! We can imagine how peaceful and transformed our society would be, if we honestly apply these evangelical principles delineated by Jesus. As Christians we have the obligation to ensure that these principles are understood, accepted and practiced.   

    The imperative of Jesus are really demanding for three reasons: ►First, it challenges us to internal fight with ourselves, and afterwards silences our ego and pride. ►Second, because they are in contrast with the mentality of the world, where forgiveness and mercy are considered as weakness. But of a truth, non-violence, mercy and forgiveness require a strong will, self-control and courage. ►Third, because in a world like ours there is a common mentality that love towards one’s enemies, non-violence, forgiveness, and mercy mean to succumb and to allow oneself to be subjugated. Instead they are actions and gestures to ensure that evil doesn’t prevail and that injustice doesn’t become a system. It entails abhorring evil in all its forms and representations.

     In the second reading (1Cor. 15:45-49) we equally see the logic of “something more”, of generosity, but in a new dimension, the dimension of eternity. The risen Christ gives us the logic of “something more”, thus making us participants of his resurrection. And he who lives the essence of Christianity, love, has open wide the doors of the new life. Behold, it is on the principles delineated by Jesus, that the new humanity desired and inaugurated by Jesus are founded. In that vein, the human being as St. Paul expressed will no longer bear the “image of the man, made of earth and earthly by nature” (v.47), that of Adam, but he will be vested with the “image of the heavenly man” (v.49) Christ, who “has become a life-giving Spirit” (v.45). This of course, has both existential and eschatological dimensions.

     Above all else, however, no matter how arduous the imperative of Jesus may appear, we need to understand that it is not only from the light of faith, but also from that of reason, that the teaching of Jesus is the right path towards human peaceful co-existence and acceptance. Contrarily, if we thread the path of violence and hatred, we will end up in a tragic spiral of violence, without a way out, and the daily chronicle of the happenings in the world today, confirms that. The chain of hatred and vengeance can only be broken by heroic love that forgives the enemies and the persecutors, and uses mercy and understanding towards wrong doers. For Christians there are no enemies, only brothers. One of the overriding laws in Christianity is the law of fraternity or brotherhood. We are all brothers and sisters, first as creatio imago Dei, and as such we have one Lord and Creator. Second, we are all brothers by virtue of our Redemption, because Jesus has redeemed us all, through his Blood on the Cross, giving us therefore the grace of becoming adopted sons and daughters of God. Therefore, we are brothers and sisters, and nobody is exempted from this universal fraternity and where there is this spiritual filiation, there is no room for hatred and enmity. Beloved in Christ, let us pray to God for grace and strength, for on our own alone, unaided by divine grace we will not be able to concretize the principles indicated to us by Jesus. For without his grace; pride, selfishness, spirit of revenge and instinctive reactions will overwhelm our good will.

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)