Gospel: Matthew 5:38-42
If anyone wants to go to law with you over
your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service
for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and
do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."
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Reflection:
What would we gain if we exact revenge to those who’ve aggrieved and injured us? Nothing except further enmity and injury then at the end there will be no winners only losers.
Take for example conflicts in married life, if a wife would take revenge for the injury that was caused her by her husband say for example infidelity. The marriage covenant would fall-apart and both parties including their children would end up as losers. With this new command to His disciples Jesus supersedes the law of retaliation and Judgment written in the Old Testament (Leviticus and Deuteronomy).
In the gospel Jesus gives us valuable lessons on humility that can help us build bridges instead of walls. This command of Jesus will also help us avoid conflicts and misunderstanding. Can we live these teachings of Jesus? If we abhor hostility, if we are humble and if we truly love Jesus we would be able to live these teachings.
Mohandas Gandhi an Indian icon of non-violent political resistance had said: “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” This simply means that nobody wins with revenge, in the arena of life the more that we itch for revenge the more that we destroy ourselves.
Instead of exacting revenge why not put on the armor of Humility, why not learn to pray for those who’ve stepped on our dignity. This is very hard to follow but we must follow because this is what Jesus is teaching us.
If we would retaliate to an injury done to us we would only end up destroying ourselves. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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