In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus ends his Sermon on the Mount
(The Beatitudes) with a statement on love and continues to teach the way of
discipleship. In this sermon, we have been reminded that we are blessed so that
we can be a blessing to others even our enemies.
The call to discipleship is a radical one. It is a
difficult lesson for our 21st century minds to absorb. We must not retaliate if
attacked. We must give more than we are asked. We must go further than the
minimum necessary. And we must love our enemies. It is a call to go beyond the
way of the world usually works and serve God here on earth if we are to be with
God in eternity. We won’t be perfect in our efforts to do as Jesus teaches but
it is in continually striving for that perfection, for completeness in our
relationship with God, that we fulfill our duties as disciples and fulfill
Jesus’ command to love God and our neighbor.
Love is at the heart of the Christian journey. We are
called to love God and each other. Loving our enemies can be difficult. The
list of reasons that we create for not loving our enemies can make us think of
revenge. Jesus says, “turn the other cheek.” This is not the way of the world,
but it is God’s way.
We must learn to love as God has loved us with forgiveness
and mercy. God’s unconditional love calls us to be members of His kingdom here
on earth. As we strive to be faithful to God’s call, we find completeness. We
are not perfect, but God continues to collaborate with us in our search for God’s
perfect will in our lives.
The “Golden Rule” offers us some insight into how we can
accomplish Jesus’ challenge to us today. Treat others in the way you would want
to be treated. Sometimes when we are hurt, we want the other to hurt as
well. Holding grudges and being
unforgiveness tend to hurt us more than the other person. No matter how
difficult it may be to forgive, love must rule the day. Let us pray each day for the ability to
follow the “Golden Rule” and live it to the fullest.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment