Sunday, February 19, 20177th Sunday in
Ordinary Time 1st
Reading: Lev 19:1–2, 17–18 Ps 103:1–2, 3–4, 8, 10, 12–132nd Reading: 1 Cor 3:16–23 Gospel: Mt 5:38–48
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 tell you this: do not oppose evil with evil; if someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn and offer the other. If someone sues you in court for your shirt, give your coat as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give when asked and do not turn your back on anyone who wants to borrow from you.“You have heard that it was said: Love your neighbor and do not do good to your enemy. But this I tell you: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. For he makes his sun rise on both the wicked and the good, and he gives rain to both the just and the unjust.“If you love those who love you, what is special about that?
Do not even tax collectors do as much? And if you are friendly only to your friends, what is so exceptional about that? Do not even the pagans do as much? For your part you shall be righteous and perfect in the way your heavenly Father is righteous and perfect.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life
Experience)
Our clamor for justice is hardly without any hidden desire to savor sweet revenge. Welcome to the ancient world of “lex talionis” upholding the law of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”. Lex Talionis literally means law of retribution. But the primary purpose of this law was to confine one’s quest for revenge to the realm of justice. The law saw to it that one got no more than what he deserved from the offended party.
“Lex Talionis” was the prevailing law of society at the time of Jesus. Leviticus 24:19-21 required that the injury done to a neighbor must be done to the person committing the injury. “As the injury inflicted, so must be the injury suffered” (Lev. 24:20). “Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (Deut. 19:21). To the surprise of the Jews Jesus set aside this equitable scheme and introduced his law of love. Imagine the reaction of people when Jesus said, “…if someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn and offer the other” (verse 39).
Jesus tried to rationalize his new commandment with this argument: “And if you are friendly only to your friends, what is so exceptional about that? Do not even the pagans do as much?” The bottom line is perfection, and that was what he wanted his followers to aim for with his heavenly Father as benchmark. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM.
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