Catholic Exchange

Love Your Enemy into a Change of Heart

Written by

Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

in

Col 3:12-17 / Lk 6:27-38

Today’s gospel has been used to justify all sorts of opinions, including the most extreme forms of pacifism. And that’s not what it’s about at all. This gospel is about what we’re supposed to do when someone oppresses us or unfairly takes what is ours. The first instinct, of course, is to counterattack — get him before he gets you. But Jesus has a different answer. Your first response, he says, should always be to try to convert your oppressor. Try to get him or her to see how wrong their deed is and then change their minds.

"If someone takes your coat," says Jesus, "give him your shirt as well." That surely sounds like pacifism. But not so fast! Jesus’ contemporaries wore no undergarments. If they gave their oppressor their shirt, they’d be left there naked. And that was Jesus’ point: Embarrass the thief into rethinking his theft, which was leaving his victim stark naked.

"When someone strikes you on the cheek," says Jesus, "turn the other cheek." To strike that other cheek involves either changing hands or striking in a contorted way. Once again, it creates a delay during which the malefactor has a chance to rethink what he’s doing.

Our first goal should always be to convert the wrongdoer. Sometimes it will work, and sometimes it won’t. And when it doesn’t, the right of a legitimate self-defense is there. Jesus’ point is simple: You may have to end up using force to defend your rights. But don’t start with force. Start with a sincere attempt to convert your adversary. It won’t always work. But sometimes it will. And it would be a shame to miss that "sometime."

Comments

One response to “Love Your Enemy into a Change of Heart”

  1. leonardnolt Avatar
    leonardnolt

    Thank you for your brief homily entitled “Love Your Enemy into a Change of Heart.” The advice is good and biblical, but I disagree with your conclusion that this approach should only be used initially toward enemies and then abandoned if it doesn’t work, and instead resort to an action that does not display love for the enemy.

    Your statement “the right of a legitimate self-defense is there,” raises some questions also. Is love not a “legitimate” self-defense? “Love” is what God used when he gave his son, Jesus to die for the sins of the world. The Bible says (in Romans) that we are to “overcome evil with good.” It would not be possible for good to over come evil if evil were the stronger of the two. Therefore love is stronger than hate or apathy, kindness tougher than cruelty, and forgiveness more powerful than revenge.

    The Biblical instruction “love your enemies” does not seem to have a sunset clause attached to it. Neither does “forgive our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Christians are to love our enemies and forgive them regardless of the consequences to us. Keep in mind that the determination as to whether a certain approach to dealing with enemies “works” or “doesn’t work” may not be up to us to decide since the consequences of our actions to either love or not love an ememy may extend far beyond our own meager life spans. It’s our responsibility to obey.

    Lastly your conclusion is wrong, I believe, because it’s not the one that Jesus used when he faced the cross. He tried to convert the “wrongdoer” when facing execution and, by your definition, it didn’t “work.” He was still crucified. But he didn’t resort to violence and claim his “right to a legitimate self-defense,” by calling the ten thousand angels he had access to and order them to rescue him from the cross. Yet his reasons for doing so to save his own life were as legitimate as any reason a person may have today. Had he lived longer he could have ministered to more people, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, raising the dead, and working to establish a stronger base for his ministry than simply those 12 apostles and few other followers. But he didn’t. He allowed himself to be executed, an innocent person, and in so doing he not only brought salvation to the world, he also demonstrated how he expects his followers to behave in a similar situation. “Take up your cross and follow me,” makes it clear that as Christians it may be necessary for us to suffer wrongly and even die, but, like Jesus, we still do not have permission to inflict harm and injury on others, even those enemies who wish us dead. Thanks again for the entry.
    Sincerely,

    Leonard Nolt
    http://www.leonardnolt.blogspot.com
    Leonard_en@Hotmail.com

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