The Core of Jesus’s Message

Photo by Joris

The Good News for the Day, September 8, 2022
Thursday of the Twenty-third Week of Ordinary Time (489)

The Gospel

The Basic Message Here

Jesus says to His followers: “To any of you who are really listening, I say, love your enemies. Do good things for people who look down on you. Speak well to God about people who scorn you, pray for all those who abuse you.

“Let Them Have Their Way.”

To the person who hits at you on your right side, offer him your left. Don’t keep your coat from anybody who takes the shirt off your back. Give generously to everyone who asks something from you. Don’t demand back from somebody something of yours they take away from you.

The Golden Rule

Behave towards others as you would have them do to you.

Be Different. Love the Wrong People.

If, in fact, you just love people who like you, what value is that to you? Even very flawed people love those who like them. If you do good for those people who benefit you, what good does that do you? Even very flawed people act that way. If you offer money only to those from whom you expect repayment, what benefit is that going to be for you? Even very flawed people offer money to other flawed people—and get back the right amount.

No, instead, love people who don’t like you. Do good to them. Offer them money. Don’t expect to get anything back. Your benefit then will be great, and you will be children of the Great One—because God is kind that way to people. It doesn’t matter how ungrateful and even evil they are. Act with compassion, the way your Father is compassionate.

Stop Being Critical

Don’t be critical of others— so that you won’t get criticized. Stop blaming and you won’t be blamed. Forgive others and you will be forgiven. Give open-heartedly, and gifts will be given to you—in good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing—gifts poured into your lap. Whatever rules you use on others will be the rules used on you.” (Luke 6)

Reflections of the Word of Jesus

Prayer yields a principle that underlines all of this collection of sayings. Jesus is offering a single core outlook on life. He is suggesting how you and I, his followers, are different. Moreover, Jesus is suggesting a meaning to life and a revelation to every adult of something fundamentally human. He is telling you how you are different, and thereby finding salvation in your love for your neighbor.

A Single Theme

Notice the two sides, the paradoxes. Reflection on these paradoxes leads to an inevitable conclusion. There is a single, spiritual and challenging theme all of them, winding them around one core like ivy around a tree.

Love other people, Jesus says. Such love is one of those instances where it is so easy to become glib and shallow.

“Love Your Enemy”?

Photo by Joris

Loving here means more than behavior, self-deception, saying words, and pretending. Love means you “care, you really care.”

You are considerate. Such real love means you help an enemy and whatever people you do not like and who do not like you. Loving requires that you do not talk behind their back.

Nor do you harbor secret resentment and irritation. Rather, you understand and so you avoid deliberately misunderstanding. You don’t twist something into something else that makes them look bad.

Nor do you avoid or shut them out of your life.

What You Do

You present them with your gracious self – not masking or masquerading, but you show an inclination to listen to them rather than argue. Part of your love is to normally notice their good traits and forgive their bad ones.

The Importance Here

In the end finally, these actions are the very things you would like them to do for you. But more…

These things are what you want God to do for you. There is the core – the challenge! Let us remind ourselves of something so important it cannot be left unsaid. You love people. It is not a love directed AT people. You don’t say to yourself  you love while knowing it is a lie. The caring you feel and show is authentic. Your behavior expresses a bond of love, not a hypocritical goody-ness of being nice..