Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
As a disciple of Christ we are called to follow Jesus, but many of Jesus’ teachings can be very difficult to live out in our daily lives. In today’s scripture reading Jesus tells us how He wants us to respond to those who are evil and demanding of our time and possessions. Jesus presents an entirely new and very radical way of living a just life. Although I find his teaching and way of life to be very different than what I understand justice to be, I believe God (Jesus) sees what is “just” in a very different light. Jesus calls us to die to our self, and in that surrendering we find freedom and life. When we are able to let go of power, being in control and wealth we learn to completely rely on God’s power and grace. This is when we are truly are like Christ, and like Him our letting go brings healing to the world and true freedom to us.
Most of us understand justice as being fair, doing what is right, and being free of self interest. Jesus talks about the common way of justice during his time-“an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” This would be a form of retributive justice where there is a punishment in response to a crime or offense. Recently a newer form of justice has emerged in our society called restorative justice. Here the emphasis is placed on repairing the harm done, but this is done by a combined effort of the perpetrator and those injured working together to find a way to restore order and healing. In the scripture reading, Jesus goes even beyond this kind of justice, since He insists that we should “offer no resistance to one who is evil” and when asked for your tunic “hand him your cloak as well.” There is no spirit of vengeance, hatred, being in control or self interest. Not only does Jesus preach this, but He lived His life in this way particularly through his passion and death. He gives His cloak (and all of his clothing as He is stripped), He gives away His dignity, and He gives His life on the cross- even though He had done nothing to deserve this. So how does Jesus find this to be evidence of living a just life? Throughout His life, Jesus preached about the importance of non-violence and peace. In His death, He illustrates how this is lived out in the most complete way. By dying to Himself (literally) He places His life into the Father’s hands and in this surrendering finds resurrection and life. But in His dying He also shows the magnitude of His love for all the world, which brings healing, hope, and mercy for everyone. The justice that Jesus shares is one of self giving and this becomes the blueprint for how we are also called to live our lives as His disciples. If we could live this way in our daily lives, then God’s healing, love and mercy would also be the result of our just way of living.
Although I may begin to understand what Jesus is calling me to do, I find the kind of justice He lived to be very difficult to put into action. I still cling to being in control, to wanting to be recognized and have authority, and to making sure that I have enough of all the things that I want. How can I begin to put this kind of justice into action? I know that with these challenging teachings I must begin with small changes. It may be as simple as not insisting that I have the last word in an argument. Or maybe it might be saying a prayer for someone who hurt me or offended me instead of lashing out in anger (both in thoughts or words.) It might also include giving up my free time to help someone with chores even when I would rather spend the time doing something I prefer. Each of these actions is a small way of letting go or self surrender. In these small ways, I must allow the love of God to direct me, since I know it will only be with His help that I could possibly begin to be so self-giving. The justice that Jesus calls me to live allows me to treat each person and situation with love and mercy. If that undergirds all that I do, then not only will I be truly free (as I place my all of my life in God’s hands), but my actions will bring God to the world. As a disciple of Jesus, I can no longer live my life filled with hatred, vengeance, and greed. If I see the cross as my inspiration for how to be just, then I begin to get a glimpse of the magnitude of love that is required. Living this kind of justice in our society will be looked as being weak, worthless, and even ridiculous! But if the small ways that we begin to live justly can begin to infiltrate the fabric of our world, then we can hopefully transform the world to understand that love and self offering should be the basis for all that we do. It is hard to imagine a world like this, but each step of dying to self brings us closer to living that justice which will help us to build the kingdom of God.
Heavenly Father, you love us so much and show us your love through Jesus. Jesus helps us to know how we are called to place all that we are into your hands. Through the grace of Your Spirit, help us to be able to give all we are to you, so we can live justly with love and mercy for all that meet. May our lives of self offering be blessed so we can bring Your love to the world and in all that we do or say give you glory. We pray this through Christ, our LORD. Amen.
- Marylynn Herchline