A poke in the Eye and a Slap in the Face

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 to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."

At one time, the rule that is spelled out in Exodus, you know the old "Eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" rule that was followed was the apex and most forward-looking rule in the practice of law that there ever was.  Before this law, there was no limit on what the offended person could do to soothe his angered soul.  For example, if you hit me, I could kill you.  You kill my son, I wipe out your whole family.  It was gunslinger justice thousands of years before guns were invented.  What the new law said is that any punishment had to be proportionate to the crime you were avenging.  In other words, if you hit me, I could not burn down your house or kill your son.  What I did had to be proportionate to the injury I received.  And yes, this was progress. 

Jesus wants us to go further. He wants us to forgive those that harm us.  He asks us to turn the other cheek and offer it to our adversary. He overturns the old law and gives us a new law.  We are to return good for evil.  This is not easy for us to do.  It takes an act of the will to turn the other cheek. This is not easy for humans to do.  Our very body, when injured in some way pumps ephedrine into our bloodstream which prepares the body for a flight or a fight. 

It is even harder when the injury to us is greater and is almost impossible for us to do it alone.  We are supposed to pray for those who harm us.  How many prayers were sent for bin Laden after 9/11?  I know I didn't pray for him and I can assure you that none of my friends did either.  But, the point is sometimes we have to do the hard things that Jesus asks of us in order to find the full happiness He wants to give us.  He gave us the example.  While he was on the cross, pierced hands and feet holding Him to the rough-hewn cross he did not call for hell-fire and damnation, he said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." 

We Christians have to hold ourselves to a higher standard than do the pagans around us. It will be hard sometimes to forgive those who wrong us.  I myself had to forgive a careless doctor who caused the death of my mother.  After my mother died, I was in depression for about six months and on the day that I forgave that wretched doctor, the depression left me and I was able to start to move on with my life. It wasn't easy and I can tell you that she and I will never be best buddies, but I do wish that she fulfills her destiny and uses her talents wisely and with great charity and that she ends up in heaven.  This was very hard for me to do, but once I did it, I experienced a freedom that I had lost and was able to get my life back. 

So, today, think about those in your life that need the forgiveness that you are withholding from them.  I can hear you say, "Michael, you don't know what they did, and how much it hurt."  What you say is true, but you yourself have become a slave to hate and it is burning your heart and soul and only you have the ability to stop it.  Forgive, yes.  And this does not mean that you have to go back being best buddies with them, you just have to put them back into the hands of God and remember Jesus forgave from the cross, you must do the same from your cross. 

Remember to pray for the holy souls in Purgatory.  Think of the millions of Protestants who have no one to pray for them since they do not believe in purgatory.  Think of those who have gone before you. Don't let your love for mothers, fathers, sisters, or brothers, friends or even distant relatives die at the lip of the grave.  Pray for them all.  Remember, where they are today, you might be tomorrow!