Homily

The antitheses of the Sermon on the Mount touch even the well-known theme of revenge and love for the enemy. One of the best known antitheses is that famous: “turn the other cheek.” “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.” Jesus recalls the old law of the “lex talionis” trans. “an eye for an eye”). This Bible norm, opposite from what is thought, was intended to promote somehow a beneficial disposition. In ancient times – and sometimes unfortunately even now- revenge had no limit; it was implacable and ferocious. In order to be satisfied, revenge could be inflicted indifferently both on the guilty, true or presumed, and on a family member or a person of his group. Revenge was no doubt one of the most despicable forms of human relationship. How can we not to compare it today to the mafia or camorra styles? By introducing the principle of proportionality, the law sought to limit the reintegration of a damaged right. Reparation for damage was regulated proportionally: an eye for an eye, a foot for a foot and so on. In conclusion, the law was intended to restrain the savage human instinct.
In spite of this well-intended legislation, Jesus upsets everything and presents a totally new and different vision. Not only should people not take revenge, but they should also not even oppose the evil one. What happens among us? If one strikes your cheek, apparently a particularly insulting gesture in Jewish mentality of the time, you instinctively and immediately react by returning the offence. Jesus stops you and says, “No! Turn the other cheek; see that he will stop. In any case do not return another evil for by doing so evil will never end.” The suggested attitude is inspired by the “suffering servant” of Isaiah who does not hide his face from insult and spits (Is 50:6). Jesus wants to defeat the mentality that is behind the norm of revenge, namely the conviction tenaciously rooted in the heart of each of us: what you do to me, I will do to you. It is perverted logic that, in its cold equanimity, has never, and will never, take away injustice. Indeed, if we repay others with the same coin with which they paid us, we will not eradicate enmity. On the contrary, we will reinforce it even more. Evil keeps all of its strength even if it is equally distributed. Evil – and here is the strength of this Gospel page – can be defeated only if it is uprooted from the heart of men and women.
This is why Jesus proposes a way of overcoming evil through superabundant love. Evil is not defeated with more evil, but rather with good. Jesus offers some examples taken from daily life. If you have an argument with someone who wants to take your coat, give him or her everything even your cloak; if you are forced to go one mile, go spontaneously two miles out of sheer concession; if someone asks you for a loan, never refuse to give money. This advice seems absolutely impossible to all of us. To turn the other cheek is a masochist vocation or something for angelic spirits who do not have cheeks. Who allows others to strip off his/her clothes? Who accepts to waste more time with those who have already asked you to waste some? Once more our usual objection comes to mind: the Gospel life is not for me. If anything, it does not affect me; it is something for special people. No, this is not the case. Those who try to live this Gospel page will realize that the Lord’s words are rich in humanity is. If we continue to read Chapter 5 of the Gospel of Matthew, we see how the new and abundant justice proposed by Jesus seems to be even more confirmed.
Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies.” With one sentence, the prophet of Nazareth deletes the word enemy from his vocabulary, and he would like his disciples to remove it from theirs also, so that only the word neighbour remains. This means that for Christians there are no enemies, everyone is a neighbour. There is not doubt that a Gospel that demands us to forgive any offence is strange, different from what everyone feels. If then it even demands that we love even our enemies, then it looks really too strange and impossible to practice. But even more, Jesus adds that we also need to pray for those who persecute us. He will give us an example during his crucifixion: “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing’” (Lk 23:34). Nowhere in the Old Testament is it written that we must hate our enemy. Even if the fundamental duty of love of neighbour was limited to the people of Israel and those who lived in Palestine, even if they were strangers. Indeed this Old Testament norm should not be taken as an example when we see the harshness and inhospitality towards foreigners in our countries. If we need to love even our enemy, how much more should we love those who are forced by hunger or otherwise to leave their homes, families and lands.
Jesus wants to broaden human hearts to their extreme borders, thus overcome those that make us enemies of one another. This kind of love becomes the criterion for understanding Jesus’ new teaching. It touches the very mystery of God, of His way of being and acting. Indeed Jesus starts from what God does in order to explain his teaching. God – says Jesus - makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous, regardless of the merits or faults of individuals. He distributes his gifts to all; He does not fail to provide everything to anyone, no matter to what race, people or faith they may belong. God, it is written, “shows no partiality” (Rom 2:11). We are the ones who make distinctions. The Lord does not repay good with good and evil with evil. His sun rises on all. Thus He breaks the logic of a self- interested and corporate love, to promote a gratuitous and universal love, able to open to foreigners and to those who are different from us. Jesus continues, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same?” Jesus’ invitation has a high standard: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Jesus links perfection to charity, to borderless love. Jesus gave an example. This is why the imitation of Christ, the new man, the model of true humanity, becomes the simple way that the Gospel offers each of us.