Readings: Deuteronomy 6:2-6; Psalm 18; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 12:28-34
At the time of writing this reflection the news has reported that there have been 13 letter bombs discovered and a suspect has been taken into custody. Then, last Saturday a gunman entered the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg and shot 8 worshipers and on leaving shot an additional three policemen. Regardless of one’s politics I can’t imagine anyone who would remain indifferent to these events. Since Cain murdered his brother Abel there has been no end to hatred and killing. “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” (Matthew 5:25-22a) Anger is the motive behind murder, as the insulting epithets are steps that may lead to it. Jesus forbids all them, as well as the deed. And this brings us to the current state of affairs that we find ourselves in today and one question. “Why do we harbor evil thoughts?” (cf Matthew 9:4)
Some are quick to point out how our political figures have stirred up the crowd against their foes and, in the process, have existentially motivated some poor disturbed individuals to act with violence and even to murder. However, before we rush to judgment of others perhaps we need to look at our own hearts and to root out the appetites and the disorders in our own soul, which are the causes of hatred. Perhaps then we can be the starting point for greater peace in our lives. So instead of loving what we think is peace, we need to love others and love God above all. If we love peace, then we need to hate injustice, hate tyranny, hate greed – but we need to hate these things first in ourselves, not in another. (Adapted from Thomas Merton New Seeds of Contemplation)
The take away this weekend are the two great commandments as pointed out by Jesus to the scribe. The first commandment observant Jews call the Shema, the most important part of the prayer service in Judaism, and its twice-daily recitation as a mitzvah (religious commandment). It is traditional for Jews to say the Shema as their last words, and for parents to teach their children to say it before they go to sleep at night. So it is not surprising for Jesus to quickly respond in the way he did to the scribe’s question. Jesus would have been taught the Shema by his own parents as a small child and he would have continued this practice as an observant Jew all his life. The Shema is in our first reading this weekend, Deuteronomy 6:4-5. A little more surprising his next statement which is Leviticus 19:18, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This is the only instance in the scriptures where Jesus refers to Leviticus.
This command to ‘love our neighbor as our self’ begs some clarification. In Luke’s version of today’s Gospel the scribe asks the follow-up question, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29b) Jesus’ response to this question is to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan, and then to pose his own question about who was the neighbor of the robber’s victim. The scribe is impelled to respond that it is the despised Samaritan. The Samaritans were the natural enemy of the Jews and were locked in mortal combat much like our bi-polar political system today. So today, we too should feel impelled to look at our adversaries, as our neighbors. And how does Jesus command us to love our neighbor? We are to love our neighbor as our self. This does not mean to love our neighbor like our self; rather he commands that we love our neighbor as our own body. This is because we are one body in Christ. This is what Jesus means when he says to love others as I have loved you.
Let us conclude by praying for an end of violence and especially at this time for an end of violence as a tool of politics. And if we believe Jesus that the root of violence is found in one’s heart, then let us begin by looking at our own hearts and to root out the appetites and the disorders in our own soul, which are the causes of hatred. Let us pray that we can be the starting point for greater peace in our world. So instead of loving what we think is peace, we need to love others and love God above all. If we love peace, then we need to hate injustice, hate tyranny, hate greed – but we need to hate these things first in ourselves, not in another.
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