Gospel Reflection for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

19th February – An eye for an eye

A song I once heard said, ‘that nothing comes from violence and nothing ever will’. All we have to do is look at the evening news on our television to see countries and sadly different religious nations at war with each other. When one side is attacked and bombed, the other side immediately strike back with equal if not more destructive force. We even see and hear this when politicians are only talking to each other. They react rather than respond to each other. We can see them often threaten each other as they talk over each other and try to shout each other down.

In our own daily lives, there are times when someone says or does something to us that is painful. In our gospel this Sunday, Jesus puts before us the question and the dilemma of what we should and how we are to behave when his happens to us. Do we return one painful word or action with the same anger? Jesus knows and quotes the Jewish Law. It was allowed to take an eye for an eye to prevent all our war between families, village and even countries. However, as with last week’s gospel, Jesus wants his disciples and us to go further. As his followers and disciples today and following his own example, Jesus asks us not to respond with anger, aggression or violence when a wrong is done to or against us. We are called not to let another person’s behaviour towards us give us permission to lash out in violence, verbally or in action. Challenging and difficult as this is, we are take our as our model, the life and actions of Jesus himself. This is the cost of being a Christian.

This may sound naïve, simplistic, unrealistic and even foolish. And while it can be done, it is by no means easy. There are three examples that we can look to and learn from. Mahatma Gandhi responded to unjust laws and oppression with passive non-resistance. He stood up and spoke out against the wrongs he saw, but he did not respond with violence. Maximilian Kolbe, who gave his life in the concentration camp for that of another man’s, refused to hate those who killed him. And finally Martin Luther King, following Gandhi’s example also protested against racism peacefully. By following the example of Jesus, who did not return violence with violence, these three great figures also had their life brutally taken from them. Yet their message and example live on today for us.

We may not be asked to give our lives for the gospel, but we are asked to offer each other the hand of peace, reconciliation and forgiveness. Somebody has to have the courage to take the first step to stop the violence.

• Michael Moore OMI