Matthew 5: 38-48 Catholic Bible Study

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand over your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

“You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Matthew 5:38-48

The World Doesn’t Want You To Love Your Enemies

In this week’s Gospel, we hear that we should love our enemies and pray for those that persecute us. This is one of the hardest Gospel passages to hear, especially in our day and age. Whether it is sports rivalries, politics, or religion, the world is constantly encouraging an “us vs. them” mentality. It is a natural thing to take sides or pick teams when confronted with adversity and diversity.  However, Christ is asking us to do the opposite. We need to remember that every soul on Earth was made for Heaven and God desires ALL of us for Himself. There are no teams or sides with Christ. C.S. Lewis wrote, “Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.”  This includes those we perceive as enemies. The world has everything to gain from keeping us on teams, sowing division, and making us look at each other as enemies.  In counseling, I frequently hear people talk about how angry they become when scrolling social media or watching the news. Often clients find their mental health improving when they take a step back from these things.  This week, consider reflecting on the teams and divisions that you perceive on a daily basis and how you can look past them so that you can truly do what Christ is asking of you in the Gospel today.

Luke Brown, LPCC

Image: Photo by Thiago Barletta on Unsplash

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