ON THE WAY TO BECOMING LIKE OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.

SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME. YEAR C.
February 18, 2007.
(First Reading: 1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23)
( Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:45-49) (Gospel Reading: Luke 6:27-38)

ON THE WAY TO BECOMING
LIKE OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.

If we were to ask ourselves what we need to do in order to become like our Heavenly Father, we will find the answer in the gospel of this Sunday.
Jesus begins by dispelling the illusions of a world(1) which has institutionalized the ways that do not lead to God.

We, human beings, will not become like our Heavenly Father if we just only:
- do good to those who do good to us,
- treat well those who treat us well,
- bless those who bless us,
- assist financially those who will repay us,
- share our resources with those who can return them to us,
- love those who love us.

The gospel points out that in order for us to become like our Heavenly Father, that is, "children on the Most High" we must:
- do good to those who hate us,
- treat well those who mistreat us,
- bless those who curse us,
- assist financially those who cannot repay us,
- give our resources expecting nothing in return,
- love our enemies.

Why is this the only way to become children of the Most High?
Because unity with God is only achieved by living in unity with all our fellow human beings. God is the Father of all. And all human beings are children of God. Christ Jesus has come to the world precisely to restore this unity.

Saint Paul tells us in the second reading that Jesus reveals the new way of life, the life of the "life-giving man" whose image "we shall also bear", the image of the unity between the Son and the Father, between mankind and God, between all human beings.

Our world of inequalities and injustice tries to destroy that unity (And, indeed, it is doing a good job at that)(2). Such world of division and separation Paul calls the world of the "earthly man", the world of "the first man, Adam", that is to say, the man of the first offense, the man who:
- does wrong to other human beings,
- harms, destroys others,
- appropriates for himself the goods and resources of other human beings,
- wants to destroy the unity with his fellow human beings, in other words, wants to destroy the unity with "the person who strikes you on one cheek", "the one who mistreats you", "the one who hates you", "who curses you".

Now, if we respond in the same way, harm for harm, then we will be only reaffirming, aggravating the division among human beings(3).

Jesus' command to "love your enemies", "do good to those who hate you", "lend expecting nothing back" "... offer the other cheek as well" means that we must always maintain, defend, preserve the unity among human beings, no matter how many times people try to destroy our human unity(4).

This Gospel Is Not About Rewarding Evil.
This gospel does not say that evil is to be rewarded or ignored or even tolerated; on the contrary, the intent of this gospel is stop evil on its tracks. Jesus presents us in this gospel with the only effective way to maintain the unity among human beings, which in turn will bring about the eradication of evil. The way to counteract evil is by not allowing it to destroy the unity among human beings. Christ Himself demonstrates the victory of good over evil by his death and resurrection; by dying He destroyed death.

The Unity Among Human Beings Involves Our Persons And Our Possessions.
Our persons give witness of the unity among all human beings by the way we live: doing good to those who hate us, blessing those who curse us, that is, by living in a way that everything we do is directed toward keeping the unity among all our fellow human beings.

Our possessions are also to be a source of unity (not division) among all human beings. This is achieved by the use of our possessions for the benefit of all the people in the world: Giving "to those who cannot repay" is a reaffirmation of the fact that what is being given belongs to them. Possessions are not to cause division among human beings. All possessions belong to all humankind.

In a world of profound injustices and inequalities, the gospel today reveals the only way to become like our Heavenly Father: By restoring the unity among all human beings.
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Footnotes.
(1) This gospel applies not only to the individual person but also to nations, multinational or national interest groups of any nature such as economic, political, religious, ethnic, etc.
(2) Our class society based on the division of men along the lines of their economic possessions does not tolerate economic equality for all human beings, much less unity among them.
(3) The following analogy will help illustrate this point: If the destruction of the unity among human beings is left unchecked, it will spread like the destruction of the brain cells after a stroke.
(4) If we had 100 faces, then we would need to turn the other cheek 100 times, for we must protect the unity among human beings always. it is not uncommon for caring members of a family to live in accordance with this evangelical principle, i.e. the mother who never gives up on a troubled child.