19th February 2023
“Love your enemies.”
Matthew 5:38-48
Our gospel this Sunday is the continuation of last week’s when Jesus seemed to make adjustments to the law. According to the law of Moses, when a person committed hurt or grievance against another, limited revenge was allowed, “a tooth for a tooth. However, Jesus tells us that as followers of his, no revenge is permissible. Instead, he invites his followers to a path of forgiveness and mercy.
We know that forgiveness is different from reconciliation. Sometimes it’s not possible or safe to reconcile with someone who has hurt or harmed us. But with God’s grace, we can walk toward the forgiveness of the person in our hearts. When we undertake this journey of forgiveness, we can let go of our hateful feelings towards another. Today, we pray that Jesus may give us the grace, strength and courage to be able to live out these commandments of loving our enemies