Homily on the 7th Sunday in O.T., 23 February 2025, FSpIF Chapel, Talamban
Last month, I threw a challenge to our Mass-goers to start reading the Bible book after book, chapter after chapter. Then, a few weeks later a friend came up to me and gently asked me a rather difficult question to answer. The question was actually coming from one of his sons. And he worded it to something like this: Father, why would God in the Old Testament command the Israelites who were marching towards the Promised Land to kill their enemies particularly those who had been dwelling there for a long time?
Well, I don’t remember exactly the answer I gave. But I remember we had a lively discussion on that matter, after which he went home seemingly satisfied. One important advice I pointed out to him was that we should read the Bible starting from the Gospels, and not from Genesis. And the reason is this: our reading and understanding of the Gospels will certainly shed light on the seemingly shocking stories and confusing passages we would later encounter as we read the Old Testament. And only then can our reading of the Old Testament make us understand and appreciate better the difficult teachings and astonishing deeds of Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, going back to the question that was raised earlier, was the killing of one’s enemies really commanded by God in the Old Testament? Or was it the Israelites of the Old Testament who thought and presumed that killing their enemies was a command from God? It is true that in reading certain books of the Old Testament we can get the impression that there was indeed a strong culture of killing and death, which definitely runs against our beliefs and values as Christians.
Let’s take for example the story we have heard in today’s first reading (1 Samuel 26: 2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23). King Saul, backed by three thousand soldiers, tried hard to pursue David as far as he could in order to kill him. It was very clear that behind his pursuit was a strong feeling of envy and jealousy towards the young and brave warrior who had quickly surpassed him in his military achievements and accomplishments.
But there is a twist in the story. One night when David and his supporters had the golden opportunity to kill the king who had madly wanted him dead, he chose NOT TO KILL him. Instead he just quietly took away the spear of Saul without awakening him from his deep slumber. Later that day, David from the opposite side of the hill sent these words to King Saul: “Today, though the LORD delivered you into my grasp, I would not harm the LORD’s anointed.” At that moment King Saul was moved to compunction in his heart and replied “I have done wrong… I have been a fool and have made a serious mistake.” He stopped his pursuit of David and after pronouncing a blessing upon the innocent warior he returned to his palace.
Isn’t that amazing? King Saul’s sharp spear could have easily caused David’s untimely death. However, David’s double edged sword of love and compassion had pierced the king’s heart first, killing his unreasonable desire for David’s blood, thus manifesting the power of love over the culture of death.
We can say, therefore, that while there had indeed been a strong culture of hatred and death in the biblical times, the culture of respect for life had also started to grow. This culture of life would steadily grow and reach its peak at the coming of Jesus. This was precisely manifested and clearly revealed in the Gospel teachings which we have heard today: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
We recall that last Sunday the gospel was about the eight paradoxical teachings of Jesus, who said that the truly blessed persons are the poor, the hungry, the weeping, and the hated. And the truly unfortunate are the rich, the well-fed, the laughing, and the well-spoken of. These are really hard teachings, difficult to understand and even more difficult to observe.
Today we continue to hear more difficult teachings. Jesus said “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you… To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well.” Aren’t these teachings even more difficult to comprehend and super challenging to practice, both in family life and in community living? Why should I love my enemies, when after all, they are the ones who hate me and hurt me?
Now, looking around us, isn’t this even more difficult to practice during this divisive period of election campaign in our country, especially with the rift between the “puwersa ng kadiliman” and the “puwersa ng kasamaan?” How hard and difficult it could really be to follow Jesus’ teachings! Yes it is indeed challenging to be a Christian in our world today as it had been challenging during the time of Jesus and the apostles. But nonetheless it is never impossible. Everything is possible for those who are empowered by the same Spirit of Christ.
What amazingly inspires us today is to know that Jesus himself, as human as he was, had been able to control his anger before his enemies. We recall that during the trial before Annas the high priest (see Jn 18: 19-24), Jesus gave an answer that caused displeasure and led the temple guard to strike Jesus on the face, saying “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” Jesus, refusing to react violently but keeping his composure, calmly responded to the guard “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?”
In responding that way Jesus actually showed us by his example the possibility of living out his hard teachings against the culture of violence in favour of love. He may not have offered literally his other cheek, but certainly by the loaded words he uttered he exposed himself to receive another big blow. At the end, Jesus’ “unli” love triumphed, as we all know, when instead of returning evil to his persecutors he offered his life on the cross, his heart pierced by a lance for the forgiveness of sins. His violent death has therefore become the world’s greatest symbol of the triumphant power of love.
May our participation in this Eucharistic celebration inspire us and empower us to persevere in following Jesus and live out even his most challenging teachings. And we pray that the culture of hating and killing may soon be totally overcome by the culture of healing, forgiving and loving. GiGsss!