June 13, 2016
Have you ever been in a fight with someone that
wouldn’t fight back? It takes away all the fun doesn’t it? That is the point of
today’s gospel. It’s the eye for an eye lesson where Jesus calls us again to
choose a better way to deal with “evil” people, people who push our buttons,
pot stirrers, drama makers, and basic petty crap. The Middle East is known for its
short hot tempers and the term “payback is hell” could have been their slogan
for life. Today’s lesson is #5 in Jesus’ “how to do better than what the law
requires” speech and thank God, because “the world would all be blind and
toothless” (to quote my friend Tevye from Fiddler).
The higher standard and the one that Jesus is so
very good at is to de-escalate situations that can lead to more anger, or
violence, or revenge, or hate, or resentment, or scandal, or bitterness, or
greater sin. When we refuse to engage with the one poking at us, it takes their
power away and it deflates the puffed up arrogance that is required to start
any sort of fight. Raise your hand if you are good at this. I am 100% not good
at this and I almost always engage. I need to work on this for sure!
An example of Jesus de-escalating a situation is
when he was being questioned before Pilate. He refused to be taunted, and
remained silent when the religious authorities were trying to bait him with
their outrageous accusations. Jesus de-escalates Pilate’s authority so much so that he wants nothing to do with him, sends him to Herod, and eventually
literally washes his hands of the whole thing. When we “offer no resistance to
one who is evil”, it sucks the wind right out of the bully’s sails. What gives
a bully motivation to continue bullying is when their victim reacts, or tries
to fight back, or responds to the bait.
When we turn the other cheek, the one that has
slapped us essentially must use the back of their hand to slap the other cheek
and the back of the hand is very shameful in the Middle East (backhanded
compliments are designed to shame someone). When we give someone something
extra like our jacket when they ask for a sweater, it allows them to practice
humility, when we go the extra mile for people it shows our strength, and when
we do not turn away from those that want to borrow from us, it grows our own
generosity. Jesus wants us to be selfless and in that selflessness, we grow in
virtue and potentially those that oppose us or poke at us will also grow in
virtue.
I have a friend that has this super annoying habit
of whispering whenever we are in a heated debate or argument. Do you know how
hard it is to fight with someone that is whispering back at you? Jesus would
say, “exactly.” I pray that today we whisper kindness into every situation we
find ourselves in, we resist those that incite drama, and we remember to
de-escalate tension so that we can grow in the virtues of generosity,
fortitude, and humility. Have a peaceful day.
Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 365
Reading 1 1 KGS 21:1-16
Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel
next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.
Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden,
since it is close by, next to my house.
I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or,
if you prefer, I will give you its value in money.”
Naboth answered him, “The LORD forbid
that I should give you my ancestral heritage.”
Ahab went home disturbed and angry at the answer
Naboth the Jezreelite had made to him:
“I will not give you my ancestral heritage.”
Lying down on his bed, he turned away from food and would not eat.
His wife Jezebel came to him and said to him,
“Why are you so angry that you will not eat?”
He answered her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite
and said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard, or,
if you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in exchange.’
But he refused to let me have his vineyard.”
His wife Jezebel said to him,
“A fine ruler over Israel you are indeed!
Get up.
Eat and be cheerful.
I will obtain the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and,
having sealed them with his seal,
sent them to the elders and to the nobles
who lived in the same city with Naboth.
This is what she wrote in the letters:
“Proclaim a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people.
Next, get two scoundrels to face him
and accuse him of having cursed God and king.
Then take him out and stone him to death.”
His fellow citizens—the elders and nobles who dwelt in his city—
did as Jezebel had ordered them in writing,
through the letters she had sent them.
They proclaimed a fast and placed Naboth at the head of the people.
Two scoundrels came in and confronted him with the accusation,
“Naboth has cursed God and king.”
And they led him out of the city and stoned him to death.
Then they sent the information to Jezebel
that Naboth had been stoned to death.
When Jezebel learned that Naboth had been stoned to death,
she said to Ahab,
“Go on, take possession of the vineyard
of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you,
because Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
On hearing that Naboth was dead, Ahab started off on his way
down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite,
to take possession of it.
next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.
Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden,
since it is close by, next to my house.
I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or,
if you prefer, I will give you its value in money.”
Naboth answered him, “The LORD forbid
that I should give you my ancestral heritage.”
Ahab went home disturbed and angry at the answer
Naboth the Jezreelite had made to him:
“I will not give you my ancestral heritage.”
Lying down on his bed, he turned away from food and would not eat.
His wife Jezebel came to him and said to him,
“Why are you so angry that you will not eat?”
He answered her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite
and said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard, or,
if you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in exchange.’
But he refused to let me have his vineyard.”
His wife Jezebel said to him,
“A fine ruler over Israel you are indeed!
Get up.
Eat and be cheerful.
I will obtain the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and,
having sealed them with his seal,
sent them to the elders and to the nobles
who lived in the same city with Naboth.
This is what she wrote in the letters:
“Proclaim a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people.
Next, get two scoundrels to face him
and accuse him of having cursed God and king.
Then take him out and stone him to death.”
His fellow citizens—the elders and nobles who dwelt in his city—
did as Jezebel had ordered them in writing,
through the letters she had sent them.
They proclaimed a fast and placed Naboth at the head of the people.
Two scoundrels came in and confronted him with the accusation,
“Naboth has cursed God and king.”
And they led him out of the city and stoned him to death.
Then they sent the information to Jezebel
that Naboth had been stoned to death.
When Jezebel learned that Naboth had been stoned to death,
she said to Ahab,
“Go on, take possession of the vineyard
of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you,
because Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
On hearing that Naboth was dead, Ahab started off on his way
down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite,
to take possession of it.
Responsorial Psalm PS 5:2-3AB, 4B-6A, 6B-7
R. (2b) Lord, listen to my groaning.
Hearken to my words, O LORD,
attend to my sighing.
Heed my call for help,
my king and my God!
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
You hate all evildoers.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
Hearken to my words, O LORD,
attend to my sighing.
Heed my call for help,
my king and my God!
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
You hate all evildoers.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
Alleluia PS 119:105
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MT 5:38-42
Jesus said to his disciples:“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”
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