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in Mt 5, 38-48

VII SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME / A

Lectio divina on Mt 5, 38-48

The Lord is good and great in

Invoking
O God, your Son, stripped and humiliated on the cross, have revealed the power of love, open our hearts to the gift of your Spirit and breaks the chains of violence and hatred, because the victory of good over bad witness your gospel of peace. Amen.

Read
38 "You have heard it said:" An eye for eye, tooth for tooth. " 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but if one slaps you on the right cheek, you turn to him the other also, 40 and those who want to take you to court and take your tunic, let him have your coat. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go with him for a mile, you take two with him. From 42 'to whoever asks, and who want to borrow not turn your back.
43 You have heard that it was said: "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that ye may be sons of your Father in heaven, he makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust . 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even the publicans? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what are you doing than others? Do not even pagans? 48 You, therefore, be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. "

A moment of silent reflection so that the Word can enter into us and enlighten our lives.

useful steps to meditation
Ex 21.22-27; 23,4,5; Lev 11:44; 19,2.18, 20.26, 24.19 to 20, Dt 18.13, 19.19 , 1 Sam 24.10-15; 25.31 to 34, 26.8 to 10, 1 Kings 22.24; Is 50:6; Lam 3.30; Mic 5:1; Luke 6.27-36; 22.64 , 11.41, 14.12 to 14, from 12.14 to 21 Rm, 1 Peter 1,15,16; 2.20 to 23, from 25.35 to 40 Mt, Dt 15.7 to 14, Ephesians 3:1; 5,1,2; Phil from 3.12 to 15, Col 1:28; 4:12; 1.4 Gc.

Understanding
continues in this liturgy, the reading of the Sermon on the Mount, the first of five major speeches that govern the spiritual architecture of the Gospel of Matthew. This Sunday is concentrated towards the heart, the heart of Christian faith, love of enemies. This heart, however, is also one of the least accepted by men, to put up hatred for the enemy as a rule of life, possibly even to extermination, if not accept the forced conversion. And in the wake of last Sunday, completing the series of "antithesis" that Jesus established between the old reductive interpretation of biblical law and the novelty of his proposal.
is the new word of the Lord, then as now, is proclaimed always and continually rejected.

Meditation
v. 38: Have you heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. These words are part of the old law called "law of retaliation" (cf. Ex 21.23 to 25). The law of retaliation was applied between the Israelites with the utmost rigor and probably often became the pretext of the most barbarous injustice, as it is still among the Bedouins of the desert.
At the time of Jesus was no longer being applied with rigor primitive, but the principle remains valid. The intervention of Jesus on this law serves to demonstrate, once again, because their teachings are different from yours. It seems that in the words of Jesus there is elimination of the law, but to help the people change attitudes. The law of retaliation is a law without the heart: thou to me and I in you. Everyone thinks that the case is resolved. Jesus, however, shows another way: the way of justice too much.
v. 39: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but if one slaps you on the right cheek, you turn to him the other also.
One verse that could be contrary to human logic. Jesus does not mean that we must leave our families slaughter, massacre us or ourselves, without offering any resistance. There is no religion, natural or revealed it to be, which has never taught or would teach such a doctrine.
In this verse, Jesus begins to suggest a practical orientation that conforms to the love and mercy of God the Father. Jesus said, turning to his followers to live according to your generosity, your gift of self, forgetting their own interests, not letting go to meanness, but proving benevolent, forgiving, giving proof of greatness of soul. The reason is simple: evil runs out, it loses its power if it falls on a heart patient, meek.
v. 40: and those who want to take you to court and take your tunic, let him have your coat.
Jesus did not abolish the self-defense, because it is a hard necessity of this poor world, but do not want it to be full of hatred. And if hate would attack the supreme good of love in the heart of a disciple of Christ, if he wanted to test its ability to last in loving, if you would turn him in love, love will grow accepting torture and humiliation. Love can not ever go out. If before a disciple para a cross to bar the way, love will give him the strength to take on their shoulders and carry the cross, and love will grow as the cross makes love grow.
The greed of men can use the judicial power of the courts to extort a poor tunic, by passing it as collateral for a loan of money had not returned. A situation made for dismayed, frustrated, cursing. Giving the mantle is not a sign of cowardice, but surrendered to anger, anger, disdain, to rely on God to give the coat is not angry gesture of contempt, or irresponsible behavior, but expressions of trust in God who will soon (cf. Ex 22:26). This witness will shock the conscience of patient trust dell'estorsore that may come to repentance.
vv. 41-42: And whosoever shall compel thee to go with him for a mile, go with him to let two. From 'who asks you, and who want to borrow not turn your back.
In these verses, which seem close Concrete examples of Jesus, Jesus says not to rebel against those who have a claim to not keep hatred in my heart, not to get lost thinking about how to get rid. It is the goodness of heart that will break the will of arrogance in him. It is the spirit of love that we need to win. Jesus himself who struck him, he replied: "If I said something wrong, point it out. But if I have not, why do you strike me? ". (Jn 18:23).
St. Paul writing to the Christians of Rome says: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).
vv. 43-44: You've heard it said: "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say unto you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. already recommended the Old Testament to love your neighbor as yourself. But the term means the next fellow, the Jew, or at most an alien who had established residence in Israel or the immigrant who was welcomed and treated like the Jewish people. For Jesus, however, every man, even if an enemy or a persecutor, he becomes the next. He opposes the instinctive hatred love, a love of acting that is expressed through concrete gestures: the hospitality offered to foreigners, prayer for persecutors. Naive, utopia? Just look around to verify that a sign of peace is often much more effective of a conference on disarmament, that justice can not be achieved except through charity, that patience is the strength of non-violent. But above all, just look at Jesus, the model.
focuses on the commandment of love is also the author of the book of Leviticus: "Do not coverai hatred in your heart against your brother, the text reads," openly criticizes your neighbor, so you do not upload a sin for him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against the sons of your people shall love your neighbor as yourself "(19.17 to 18). It is clear language that needs no comment but just to be internalized and translated into style of everyday life. Much later, the evangelist John says: "If anyone claims to love God and then hates his brother is a liar, who does not love his brother whom he has seen can not love God whom he does not see." (1 Jn 4:20).
love who loves us is not doing anything extraordinary demarchi deeply agency charged by the Christian. The heart must be hard against evil, but not against the persecutor in front of which must be posed with the nobility conferred by the fortress of faith and love.
The task of justice to be implemented towards the wicked is marked by the justice of Christ, who atoned for our sins, so that every man has to his credit the salvation wrought by Christ. Justice to be done at the ungodly is to proclaim Christ, to witness Christ.
v. 45: that ye may be sons of your Father in heaven, he makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.
Here we have the end of this speech: to be children of the Father. Our spirit must be modeled on his and our actions must have the scent of love and unfailing generosity that comes only from Him The verse is a call to imitation: to become like the Father, because at the end of life, we recognize and accept as true sons.
vv. 46-47: In fact, if you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even the publicans? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing than others? Do not even pagans?
the love of which Jesus is talking about what they say and do must go beyond the scribes and Pharisees (see 5.20) and even the tax collectors and pagans. Even tax collectors love their fellow humans. They were despised and were one of the lower classes in the social scale.
The disciple of Jesus must have something more: the knowledge that the Father is the God of love and not just to justice. It is a God of mercy, which asks us to experience firsthand the love of the brethren.
The Lord points out, what reward will you get? Of course no mention of action to reward, but to live in love and follow the teachings of Jesus is to receive a reward: a child of God (cf. 5.45), the fullness and bliss of the kingdom of God, God himself. The doctrine of Paul on the sonship of believers seems to have its roots in this and other similar sayings of Jesus
Love of enemies is the positive vertex touched by the Gospel law of love of neighbor. This love, which is indicated by the verb greek agapao resides primarily in the will which makes available with compression, kindness, and relief.
v. 48: You, therefore, be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. is the conclusion: But the very perfection of God in the Old Testament had already sounded a similar demand: "You shall be holy, as I am Yahweh your God am holy" (Lev. 19:2). In Luke's the saying of Jesus is given in terms more closely, but more suited to the context: "Be merciful, just as the heavenly Father is merciful" (Lk 6:36).
The word "perfect" in the sense of understanding each other is performed in the exercise of love towards our fellow man, love that embraces all and excludes none. Otherwise it would be a simple virtue that leads to nothing. Who meant so, it would contradict the entire contents of the address, which in fact is to say that likeness of God in the inner purity and love and holiness, must be the constant aim of the Christian, in all the circumstances of his life to be perfect "as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Our Lord Heavenly Father puts before us as we imitate the model, especially in our love, which must extend to all men, even our enemies.

The Gospel in the mind of the Church Fathers
do not think that without the presence of evil in the world. Do not think that God does not take from them anything good. The bad living, or because they have to correct, or because those who are good both through his messenger test. Heaven forbid that those who today put us to the test should be converted, and they too are put to the test with us! However, as long as they continue to oppress us, not odiamoli. We do not know, in fact, some of them will persevere to the end in his wickedness, and most of the time, while you seem to hate an enemy you hate a brother ... The Apostle says to those who have already become faithful: You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord (Ephesians 5:8): darkness in yourself, light in the Lord. Well, brothers, all the wicked, wicked long as they are, they test good. Listen now briefly and understand: If you're good, nobody will be the enemy, if not the villain. Without doubt, you well known that rule of goodness, according to which you will have to imitate the goodness of your Father which is above the sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5.45) ... As for you, what you give to your enemy? You're not even able to bear it! If God has an enemy to a man who has donated so many things ... you, you can not make the sun rise and even make it rain on the earth, not something you can reserve for your enemy, so that you too, man of good will there be peace on earth? Well, if it is true that you, in terms of love, it requires the enemy to love imitating the Father, how could you engage in this commandment, if there were no enemy to bear? You see, then, that everything will be of benefit. The very fact that God spares the wicked and also pushes you to do the same for you as well, if you're good, you are as you become evil by good! What if God does not forgive the wicked, even you may now present to give thanks to him. Let, therefore, that mercy to others who have used it with you. (Augustine, Expositions on the Psalms )

Many believe they are very far from the world, in their actions because they are far away in two or three things, which shall refrain. I'm not wise enough to see that in one or two members, they are dead to the world, but with all the others still live in the body in the world. So do not realize even more of their passions, and not perceiving them, they are not worried for their salvation. The word "world" is the collective name of almost all the passions. When we want to designate them one by one, instead, we use their particular name. The passions are a part of the mechanism of the world where they are off, even the mundane has ceased. Among the love of this enumeration to wealth, anxiety of accumulating possessions, the debauchery that fills the body and from which rise the impure passions, ambition, which is the source of envy, lust for power, pride and the arrogance to their position, the lust for fame among men, which is due to hatred, and fear of bodily dangers. Where the course of all these stops and they vanish in the same situation can no longer fashionable, and comes to an end, as happened to some saints who had died with the body. They lived in the body, but not after the flesh. Look down in many of these passions you are alive, and you'll know which parts of the world and you're still in what you're dead. Now you know what the world also learned, from these portions thereof, to what extent are you still involved in it and how far you've released. In other words, "world" is to act according to the body, the thoughts are carnal. The elevation above the world manifests itself to these two notes: the changed behavior and diversity of intimate movements. From the immediate manifestations of your spirit about the realities to which it is attracted to you can recognize the true size of your costume to what your nature aspires involuntarily, such events are beyond the continuously and that which you feel moved, that is, if your spirit welcomes him always and only the impressions of disembodied motion, or if everything moves in the field. (Isaac of Nineveh, virtuous life, 2)

Maybe someone objected that this is no longer the time that is given us to bear Christ to the apostles what they endured in their day. True, there are pagan emperors, there are tyrants who persecute; not pour the blood of the saints, faith is not tested with the torture. God is pleased that we serve in our peace, whether they like with only the immaculate purity of actions and the immaculate holiness of life. But this is due to him more faith and devotion, because it requires us not, though avendoci bestowed more. The emperors, then, are Christians, there is no persecution and religion is not disturbed, we do not we have to demonstrate a rigorous examination of faith: so we must please the God at least with less effort. Prove it to be ready to larger companies, if things so require, the one who knows less fulfilling their duties. We omit therefore argued that the most blessed Paul, which, as we read in religious books written later, all Christians supported, thus ascending to the palace gate to heaven the steps of their sentences, using the stand for torture and burnings as of stairs. Let's see if at least in those treats religious devotion that are less common, and that all Christians can make peace more stable and at all times, we strive to actually respond to the precepts of the Lord. Christ forbids us to fight. But those who obey this command? It is not a simple command, reaching the point of abandoning ourselves to what amounts to the same subject matter of the dispute but to give up the fight itself, says: If someone wants to cite in court take your tunic, let him have your cloak (Matt. 5.40). But I wonder who are those who dispose of them strip off their opponents, indeed, are those who do not object to his opponents that they undress? We are so far from leaving them with the robe and the rest, if only we can, we try to remove the robe and cloak opponent. And with so much devotion to obey the commands of the Lord, that is not enough not to give our opponents even the least of our clothes, on the contrary, if we can just allow it and things, tear them all! At this command goes together another very similar: in fact the Lord said: If someone will strike the right cheek, you offer him the other also (Mt 5:39). How many people think they are holding out his ears at least a little this or that precept, though show to run it, do it to heart? And who has never received a blow, if not many want to make? It is so far from offering to those who strikes the other jaw, which he believes to win not only beating the opponent, but actually killing him. What would that men should do to you - says the Savior - ye even so to them the same way (Matthew 7:12). We know so well the first part of this sentence than ever, we omit the second, we omit the usual, as if we knew not at all. We know very well what we want others to do, but we do not know what we must do to others. It really did not know! Would be less to blame due to ignorance, according to that: Who does not know the will of his master will be punished soon. But those who know and do not run, he will suffer much (Luke 12:47). Now our sin is greater for the fact that we love the first part of this sacred sentence for our utilities and our convenience, and the second part of the insult to God to omit the word of God is also reinforced by the apostle and inflation Paul, who, in his preaching, says: Let no one seek what is his, but what is the other (1 Cor 10.24), and again, I do not think individual to what is them, but what of others (Phil. 2:4). See with what he has faithfully performed the commandment of Christ the Savior has commanded us to think of us as we think of others, instead he commands us to care more convenient for others than our own. It is a good servant of the Lord and a good imitation of a great master as walking on the traces of it made, almost, clearer and sculpted in his footsteps. But we Christians do what Christ commands us or what the Apostle commands us? Neither one nor the other, I think. We are so far all of us to offer something to others with our trouble, that we take care of our supremely comfortable, uncomfortable others. (Salvia Marseille, The divine world government )

Some questions for personal reflection and comparison
The song calls for ethical conduct. It is to examine our lives every day to understand what conduct in difficult situations as a reaction when everything seems to be aimed against?
The prayer: what kind of prayer is our? I grow in perfectly with the Father, or a simple prayer to repeat because you have to say? I invoke the Holy Spirit, so I formed the interior according to the image of Jesus, making me able to love others like him and because of Him?


Let's pray before It will be enlightened by the Word. The Psalm invites us to revisit our lives and raise our praise to God for forgiveness (from Psalm 102)

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
that is within me bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
not forget all his benefits.

He forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases
,
save your life from the pit,
around you with kindness and mercy.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and great in
.
not dealt with us according to our sins and
nor repay us according to our iniquities. How

far as the east from the west, so he
away from us our faults.
As a father is tender towards his children, so the Lord
is tender toward those who fear him.

contemplative act
The Word calls us once again to be sober and measured, we must be just and merciful as Jesus, who likes a lot of our sincere efforts to forgive and reconcile with those who have offended but first is and remains close to those who have been seriously wrong.