Love your enemies

23rd Week in Ordinary Time - Thursday (13 September 2018)

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Luke 6:27-38

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly.”

In the first reading, St Paul deals with the problem whether to eat the meat sacrificed to idols. Paul's solution is classic; wisdom at its best. He says that we know that there is no other god than the One God we worship. So any meat offered to idols has no consequence whatsoever. There will no problem in eating that meat. But if it scandalizes my fellow-believer, I choose not to eat the meat though I know very well that it will do no harm. In other words, we can say that there are two values (virtues) involved here: value of knowledge and value of love. When there is a choice between the value of knowledge and the value of love, discernment or wisdom in general tells us that we choose love over knowledge. St Paul asks us to think what is beneficial (greater good) for the other. This is all about choosing love over knowledge, for the sake of the other. Love is more important than knowledge. (“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 1 Corinthians 10:23; 6:12.)

For instance, the beef problem in India. The value of knowledge instructs us that it is nothing wrong with eating beef, as you would eat mutton, chicken, or any other meat. But the value of love instructs us to think of those people who don't eat beef as our brothers and sisters. For the sake of love (though I know it is no wrong in eating beef or asking others to do the same) I decide not to eat beef. I’m thus one with them as a brother or sister. Similarly, whenever there is a conflict between me and the other, I can choose the virtue of love/charity over the virtue of knowledge/truth itself. In fact, by insisting on my right I can sin. I can become a cause of sin itself. St Paul says, “By sinning in this way against your brothers and sisters, and injuring their weak consciences, it would be Christ against whom you sinned” (1 Corinthians 8:12).

In the gospel reading, our Lord goes a step further. “Love your enemies and do good, lend without any hope of return.” Our enemies are not far away, they are nearby. Those who love us hurt us the most. Am I able to love them, give my heart to them day after day? This is a great challenge. And to love all the wrong people who are near me: the people who hurt us, the people who betray us, those who don't understand us, those who spy on us, those who don't like us, those who shout at us, those who insult us, those who ignore us, those who even hate us. Am I able to love all these people? Am I able to love those who don't understand or accept my faith, those who oppose me, and even persecute me for believing in Christ Jesus?

Very often it is by forgiving others and their evil that we can fulfill and complete our otherwise subtle work on our own selves. Both these acts, therefore, take real and lasting courage. We must embrace our enemies just as much as we must welcome our own shadows (inner enemies of selfishness, greed, lust, anger, violence, etc.). Our maturity as Christians is seen only in our readiness to forgive and love ourselves and others, especially our enemies. This is the true touchstone of Christianity.