Must I love my enemies?
Today, in the Gospel, it would appear that the demands that Christ makes on our charity are anything but easy. Loving one’s enemies is asking a lot. Blessing them and praying for them might be all right for St. Francis but expecting it of us seems to be going too far. Asking for a blow on the second cheek while the first is still twinging with pain seems fit only for a martyr. Not to try to take back what was stolen from us looks very foolish. Yet it was Christ who made all these demands.
However, before we give up in despair, and decide that this type of Christianity is not for us, let us look a little more closely at the demands that are made. To love our enemy does not mean we must throw our arms about him every time we meet him (he would not let us anyway!).
It means we must do all in our power to rid our minds of any hatred of him, and try to see the good that is in him. Not judging and condemning are included here.
We are sinful beings, thus limited and very prone to error. We often fail to see in our neighbor the real man as God sees him. God can see a lot of goodness even now on justly convicted robbers and murderers in our jails. And perhaps He may see them as future citizens of heaven.
Not demanding back what was unjustly taken from us does not mean that we may not have recourse to the legal or other means available to us for obtaining compensation in such cases. What it does forbid is personal (generally forceful) restoration of our rights and property.
Another consoling point to bear in mind is that the vast majority of our fellowmen have no inclination to injure us or take our property and will never do so. If we feel we have a lot of enemies only waiting for the chance to pounce on us, we would do well to examine our consciences very carefully and then look for the many good points there are in our neighbor’s character.
“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, life for life” was the practice amongst the Jews at the time of Christ and for centuries before. Christ sets up the “golden rule” of fraternal charity in place of this law. Every man should truly love his neighbor for he is his brother.
What is more, Christ’s mission on earth has made our neighbor a son of God and an heir to heaven. Our chief interest in him must therefore be a spiritual interest. If he offends us, he offends God which is much more serious. Our charity should help him to seek God’s forgiveness. That he should seek ours is of very minor importance in comparison with that.
We must not respond to evil with evil, as that would lead to revenge. Since God has forgiven us, instead, we should seize every opportunity to serve those towards whom we may feel displeasure, doing so wholeheartedly. It is important to pray for them with a spirit of generosity. The essence of Christ's Law is charity, and we truly embody this charity when we lovingly tolerate the burdens of our brothers and sisters.
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