Gospel of 10 September 2020
Thursday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time
Luke 6:27-38
Love your enemies
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I say this to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly. To the man who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek too; to the man who takes your cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from the man who robs you. Treat others as you would like them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks can you expect? For even sinners do that much. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. Instead, love your enemies and do good, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.’
Reflexion
Compassion is one of those words which everyone seems to know, but no one seems to be able to provide an adequate definition. It comes from two Latin root words which literally mean, “suffer with.” We tend to think that compassion means “being kind,” and while that may be an element of compassion, it is by no means the whole definition.
Compassion may be kind but sometimes it can also be harsh. Being compassionate doesn’t mean condoning sinful or destructive behaviour. Being compassionate does not mean accepting or going along with other’s actions regardless of the consequences to ourselves or others. In fact, compassion seeks to extricate the other from suffering, and the greatest form of suffering is sin.
The Bible and our Lord Jesus in today’s passage do not explain compassion like a dictionary does; simply telling us what the word means. Instead, our Lord defines compassion by showing us what compassion looks like and what is involved with being compassionate. He gives us several concrete illustrations and also provides us with a model and standard. “Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate.”
When our Lord tells us to “be compassionate as your Father is compassionate”, He is not just telling us what to do, but how to do it. Our Lord’s ministry and example bridge the internal (the sense of pity and empathy) and the external (acts of justice and mercy). He tells us to forgive our enemies, but He also says to love our enemies and pray for those who hate us. He did not only teach us this but showed us how true compassion looks like on the cross. For to see what it means for God to be compassionate, we need to continue to watch Jesus as He responds perfectly to God’s love and radiates that love to others.
We as His disciples are now called to accept the challenge and the grace to live as Jesus lives, especially by loving, even our enemies, and love without putting expectations on the other person to return our love. We expect nothing less than to know that we will be called sons and daughters of the Most High, who shows kindness to the “ungrateful and the wicked,” which includes present company, you and me.