7th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle A

In the Book of Leviticus, God gives to the Israelites a command to love: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

This First Reading begs the question, “Who is my neighbor?” It is a question that Jesus asks in the Gospel of Luke when he offers the parable of the Good Samaritan (the least likely to be a neighbor among the Jews of the time.) Indeed, the Gospel from Matthew this weekend insists that “neighbors” must include even our enemies.

Regarding Leviticus, “neighbor” was more exclusive and referred to fellow Israelites who were under a common covenant or pact. In order to remain together as a nation, they had to love one another. Love for all Israelite members meant that the kingdom of Israel would survive for generations. A lack of love would mean a divided kingdom and a kingdom divided against itself would not survive.

This is not to say that Jews should not have loved those who were of different clans or kingdoms. However, there was necessarily a preferential love for their own people.

As we reflected on in our First Reading, loving one’s neighbor was a means to keep the covenant of Israel intact. This was true for God as well. God promised to remain with His people if they longed to abide with Him. In other words, “God had their back!”

According to St. Paul, God has our back should anyone attack us or attempt to destroy us. This is because we are Christians and temples of God Himself, where the Spirit of God dwells within us.

St. Paul does not mince his words: “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person.”

When we speak of God’s love for us, we half expect that He has our back. We assume that God would not let us down if we were to follow Him. Our assumption is correct.

However, God demands that we have the back of our neighbor as well.

Last week we heard Jesus say, “I have come not to abolish [the law] but to fulfill.” We went through a few examples of the ways in which Jesus fulfills the law. This Sunday’s Gospel includes two more examples:

1. “An eye for an eye” (or retributive justice) is replaced by “offer no resistance to evil, turn the other cheek, go an extra mile, etc.”

In other words, we are to leave behind a merely human sense of justice and adopt a justice of God that is sacrificial at its core. Following the example of Jesus on the cross who said, “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do,” our Christian sense of justice needs to surpass human justice.

Ask the Lord to forgive someone who has hurt you in life.

Jesus, Prince of Peace, you have asked us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. We pray for our enemies and those who oppose us. With the help of the Holy Spirit, may all people learn to work together for that justice which brings lasting peace. To you be glory and honor for ever and ever.

Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.

He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.