Devotional Thoughts for the 4th Sunday after the Soonoyo - 11th Sept 2011
Reading: From the Gospel according to St. Matthew 5: 38-48
Dear and Respected Brethren,
In the first and second verses of today’s reading we find our Lord and Savior suggesting a new phenomenon, which is entirely different from the old one. Our Lord tells us “You have heard that it has been said, an eye for an eye and a tooth (Leviticus 24:30) for a tooth: But I say unto you, that you resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Our Lord’s teaching is so relevant and significant in the contemporary world.
But who cares? In our daily lives we might come across so many types of people and experiences of various natures from them. When we will have to face an unpleasant and unexpected bitter experience what would be our approach to the individual who would be responsible for all the problems? We are living in an era when and where human relations are totally ignored. All are trying to earn his or her own personal gains and on the basis of the same people do build up relations. Even people of blood relations cannot forgive each other. The greatest evil of these days is the way in which others are evaluated. Most of us evaluate the worldly richness of others and deal with them. Until recently the occasions like marriages, baptisms etc. were considered as stages to renew human relationships. Now who is bothered in maintaining the old relationships? People select others of their own status for the interaction. Hence the Doctors meet Doctors, Engineers meet Engineers, and Business men meet Business magnates and so on. In verse 40 our Lord tells: “And if any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.” Our Lord refers to a person who might try to take things from others, without waiting for the judgment or direction from the higher authority. Now also we could find people who lose their patience to listen to a wise directive. In verse 41 we read, “And whosoever shall compel you to go a mile, go with him twain.” Our Lord means that we should not be misers in doing helps or assistance to others in need. In verse 42 our Lord advises us not to turn your face against the one who might ask our help. Our Lord insists us to give the helping hand as much as we could to the one who might stretch his hand.
In verse 43 and 44 we find Him saying: “You have heard that it has been said thou shall love thy neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say unto you, “Love your enemies, and bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use use and persecute you.” Let us underline the words love and pray. If one could love one and all around him or her and could pray for others around him or her, there will be perfect peace for one and all. One who is unselfish could only love others. When we love others, it means we love irrespective of any sort of classifications or selections. Naturally we will be tempted to love who might love us. Our Lord says that there is no limit for the love. The love could be extended to the wicked, cruel, unwise and people of all sorts of negative characters. They are so only because of the absence of the real love in them. When they get filled with divine and unselfish love, they will be very good people for others as well as to God. Only through prayer we could convert the negative forces as positive forces. When love is united with our prayer, its outcome would be spontaneous and marvelous. Let us try that way to sort out all discomforts and problems in our midst.
Lord Jesus explains the righteousness of God Almighty by saying that the Sun and the rain are given to the good as well as the wicked alike or upon the just and unjust (Verse 45) Our Lord reminds us that we are His children. Let us be loyal to our Heavenly Father in our daily lives. In verse 48 our Lord teaches us that we should be perfect like our Heavenly Father. We all are called and separated by Lord God to grow into the perfection as that of the Heavenly Father. Let us give prominence to this aim and need. God has graciously laid down the basement in each and every one of us. Now it is our duty to build up and up with our virtuous lives. Let us work hard to speed up the growth of spirituality in us and it would slowly enable us to reach the perfection. May God bless us all.
Jose Kurian Puliyeril
Kottayam.