Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

Retaliation and love of enemies, these teachings are very much significant today as we live in a world, full of barbaric and gruesome violence.

First, we turn to listen to Jesus' teaching about retaliation. He teaches in a very methodical way. First, He presents the thesis - what the Law of Moses has taught "You have heard that it was said, 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'" Then He makes the anti-thesis - what He teaches of His own divine authority: "But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil." He does not stop at that point. But He illustrates His statement, the antithesis, with enough practical examples.

For a proper understanding of the Law of Christ, the New Moses, seated in the rabbinic posture of teaching ob a mountain, the biblical place of divine revelation; we ought to read through Exodus 21 and Leviticus 24 "Whoever takes the life of any human being shall be put to death ... A life for a life! Anyone who inflicts an injury on his neighbor shall receive the same in return. Limb for limb, eye for eye, tooth for tooth!"

These two speak of Lex Talionis, the law of tit for tat. What was the purpose of this Law, though it looks rigorous? It was: to enforce justice, to stamp out violence, to prevent greater penalties than would be just / to moderate vengeance; the punishment should not exceed the injury done.

But Jesus, the One greater than Moses, forbids even this proportionate retaliation and exhorts us, His disciples, to cede our legal rights for retaliation. He seems to say, "Do not resist evil with evil". He,then, exemplifies His new teaching: "When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well."

We must resist evil with what is good, done in full liberty. Hence we may hand over the cloak with tunic; give to the one who asks and lend to the one who borrows. We may also go the extra mile when pressed into service for one mile only.

Now we turn to Jesus to listen to His teaching on love of enemies. Here He exhorts: that we must love not only our neighbor but our enemy and persecutor also = 'Do bot render evil but love for evil', that we should surpass the usual standards of conduct (to love those who love and to greet those who greet like tax collectors and pagans do), that we must imitate the example of God the Father who grants the gifts of sun and rain to the good as well as the bad and be perfect like Him.

What do these teachings point to? Jesus points to an ideal. The ideal should not be forgotten or lost sight of, even if we fall short of it, or even if we cannot easily attain it.

Is this for individual behaviour only? For us Christians, this is not only for individual behaviour/spirituality but also for social behaviour/communitarian spirituality.

How did Jesus act according to what He preached? We can collect some data from the New Testament and try to make a synthesis: Jesus did have enemies (Pharisees, Sadducees, etc.) - those who did not agree with Him; those who refused to agree with Him, perhaps to keep their positions. Jesus did dialogue with them. He accepted invitations to dine with the Pharisees, who disagreed with Him and who questioned Him and His actions at the meal. It is possible that the meal was an occasion to clarify matters and some enemies were converted to Him (Matthew the tax collector, Zacchaeus the chief tax collector). It is equally possible that some hardened their hearts against Jesus, those who refused to agree with Him. Those, who were hardened against Him, put Him to death (His enemies retaliated Him). In Luke, He forgave His enemies on the cross - even if He had the possibility to retaliate them: "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do". When Jesus was put to death by His enemies and He did not retaliate at the end, He was merely practising what He preached.