Love your enemies

13 SEPTEMBER (Lk 6,27-38)

In the Old Testament the commandment of universal love towards all, friends and enemies, near and far, Jews and Gentiles, believers and atheists; gradually makes its way.

“You shall not repeat a false report. Do not join the wicked in putting your hand, as an unjust witness, upon anyone. Neither shall you allege the example of the many as an excuse for doing wrong, nor shall you, when testifying in a lawsuit, side with the many in perverting justice. You shall not favor a poor man in his lawsuit. “When you come upon your enemy’s ox or ass going astray, see to it that it is returned to him. When you notice the ass of one who hates you lying prostrate under its burden, by no means desert him; help him, rather, to raise it up. “You shall not deny one of your needy fellow men his rights in his lawsuit. You shall keep away from anything dishonest. The innocent and the just you shall not put to death, nor shall you acquit the guilty. Never take a bribe, for a bribe blinds even the most clear-sighted and twists the words even of the just. You shall not oppress an alien; you well know how it feels to be an alien, since you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt. Lie not in wait against the home of the just man, ravage not his dwelling place; For the just man falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble to ruin. Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and when he stumbles, let not your heart exult, Lest the Lord see it, be displeased with you, and withdraw his wrath from your enemy. Be not provoked with evildoers, nor envious of the wicked; For the evil man has no future, the lamp of the wicked will be put out. If your enemy be hungry, give him food to eat, if he be thirsty, give him to drink; For live coals you will heap on his head, and the Lord will vindicate you. (Pr 25,21-22).

What more does the New Testament add to what we already know? It adds love which is the gift of the personal life for the conversion, salvation, redemption, and sanctification of the wicked, atheist, and enemy; of the one who mistreats, curses, kills, crucifies, stones, and rails against us with incredible ferocity. Our lives must be sacrificed to God for salvation of those who do not know him and do not even want to know the missionaries of his truth and grace.

“But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit (is) that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as (also) your Father is merciful. “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

Another truth of the New Testament is the absolute gratuitousness of the given love. He loves without expecting any reward, even a greeting, a thanks, a blessing. It is as if the good were never done. You do and forget it. Only God must remember it to give us his blessing on earth and in heaven. Christian love is different than any other human love. It is a real holocaust of the whole life of a disciple of Jesus offered to God for the salvation of the world. We are all called to enter into this vision of divine love. Our true and only Master is Jesus. He gave up his life to the Father for the redemption of the world and we must also offer it. This is our vocation. This universal, free, full, and total love given to all, without any expectation of earthly reward; is the sign of the truth of our being his disciples. The world will see, and will recognize that we are Jesus’.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels, and Saints teach us this love.