Mass readings for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time:
Leviticus 19.1-2, 17-18 Psalm 103.1-4, 8,10, 12-13 1 Corinthians 3.16-23 Matthew 5.38-48
Jesus was once asked, “who is my neighbour?” and he answered with the parable of the Good Samaritan – his answer was, the person who is kind to you is your neighbour; and it doesn’t matter if that person is part of a group that you’ve been taught to despise, their kindness, their generosity toward you, tells you that person is a true neighbour.
He was never asked specifically, “who is my enemy?” I suppose because the people thought that was obvious – it’s the Romans, or it’s the Samaritans; on a more personal level, it’s the person who cheated me.
However, in the gospel today, we do have an indication that we must be careful in who we regard as our enemy; and that’s important because we don’t need to go and make enemies unnecessarily. Also, some of those we think of as enemies might just prove to be the neighbours and allies we need.
I draw your attention to that famous line: “love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you.”
This is an instance of what we know in biblical literary studies as Hebrew doubling.
In Hebrew literature, the Old Testament, this doubling occurs when an idea is repeated twice in two successive lines or phrases.
For example, “He was as quick as lightning, he was swifter than the wind.” That expresses the idea that “he was fast” twice in as many lines. Repeating the tells us he was very, very fast.
Jesus tells us an enemy is someone who really hates you; not merely dislikes you or disagrees with you. In the original Greek text, there’s a double doubling – Jesus puts it four different ways, that your enemy is the one who despises you, hates you, curses you, persecutes you. All of these actions are related, and are rooted in hatred, echthros in Greek, which is a word that suggests that hating, despising, etc. all have the effect of removing the person hated from the human community. In summary, your enemy is someone who really, really hates you; and considers you less than human.
And that is an important mental move; to think of someone as less than human leads one to justify all sorts of inhumane actions. We know this from our experiences of war propaganda – a nation at war will use its public information system to disseminate the idea that the enemy is less than human, and unworthy of mercy.
That is why disciples of Christ do not hate their enemies. The waters of baptism may make a Christian, but they do not lift us above the rest of humanity. Rather the font washes away that horrible stain of the sin of seeking power for ourselves and forsaking trust in God. That power that so tempted Eve in the garden, invariably manifests itself as power over others; the serpent said the forbidden fruit would make us like God, but instead eating it makes us an enemy of God. Those today who feed on it: they become a parody of God as they try to control others and forget the mandate of Christ to love according to justice and truth. Power gives the illusion of superiority, and it corrupts one’s vision, it blinds us to the image and likeness of God in others; the likeness that give them an inherent dignity and equality with us – this blindness makes it easy to hate.
So, it’s important to distinguish between the person who hates, and those who make your life difficult or uncomfortable. Your enemy is not the person who disagrees with you and has a different opinion, it’s not the one who questions you and your assumptions. Your enemy is not the person who thinks you are doing something wrong and expresses sincere concern – they might be mistaken, but they’re not your enemy. To be sure, pray for them, but recognize that there is good chance they are praying for you.
So, when we come to think about “who is my enemy” we’re apt to find that the vast majority of people don’t fit in that category once you see them as persons, and not as part of a group that’s been labeled “the enemy.”
Think about the people that Jesus meets and helps in the gospels: he helps a Roman centurion by healing the man’s servant. He talks to the Samaritan woman at the well. He recognizes that individuals are often caught up in circumstances that put them under the authority of a true enemy. The centurion was an officer of the Roman Empire, a brutal conquering state, and yet, we see him as a rather kind-hearted fellow concerned for a servant; so, Jesus helps him.
And when it comes to enemies, well Jesus knows who they are: they are high priests of the Temple, the princes of the house of Herod, the Pharisees. They hate Jesus because he reveals to people that far from being beneficent rulers and spiritual guides, they oppress the people. By the way they treat them, not looking to alleviate their suffering, and by being concerned to retain power over them, they show themselves that they hate them.
I’ve told this story in another context, but I think repeating it here makes sense.
My grandfather was a combat veteran of the Second World War, and during the liberation of France, the Canadian army had the job of rooting the German army out of the coastal towns, almost on a house-to-house basis. During this operation, he and his friend who I only know as “Brownie” found themselves cut off from their unit, soon to be surrounded by counterattacking Germans. They went to hide in a house. As they got to the front door, it opened, and there was a young German soldier. Instinctively, they all exchanged gunfire. The German missed them, but they didn’t. He fell back into the house, and my grandfather and Brownie, ran in, dragged the fallen German inside, and shut the door. Seeing that he was still alive, they pulled him further into the house to hide, and to keep him from making noise and giving them away.
So, you have two frightened Canadians and a dying German soldier. My grandfather did what he could with field dressings, but it only slowed the bleeding. They shared out cigarettes; and they talked. The young German painfully pulled out his wallet, and showed around pictures, photos of his girl, his home, tried with limited English to hold a conversation, even as his life drained from him. He never tried to give my grandfather and Brownie away.
This story is a illustrates the tragedy of human conflict. That soldier wore the uniform of our enemy; and our enemy was very real – but that young man wasn’t really the enemy. However, caught up in the web of evil of that day, what else could have possibly happened in that moment when the door opened and they faced each other guns at the ready?
Now, I am not naïve. A lot of people who really aren’t enemies, are manipulated into helping true enemies in their pursuit of our destruction. That soldier was an example, but we know of others who, being more thoroughly indoctrinated into evil, in that situation, might have used their dying breath to shout out and bring destruction down on my grandfather. We know that there are those who welcome such indoctrination because it gives them a place in society, and purpose; and even as they know themselves to be doing evil, nonetheless continue because they value that belonging more than they do virtue and true goodness: they have, by conforming their will to evil power, in essence, become the enemy. They incarnate evil, even as we try to incarnate the good of Jesus Christ in ourselves. They make a deal with the devil; and only by grace can they be set free. That is why we must especially pray for them.
Only Christ, the divine power of truth and love in the person of the Son of God, can set them free. So, as hard as it might be, love your enemies, desire with all sincerity their conversion, showing forth your authentic concern in the way you speak to them, the way you treat them, even in the offering of hospitality. This is the impossible perfection we are called to, a perfect love made possible in Christ, and even made possible for our enemies.
Amen.