Walking with Jesus: Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time C

For Sunday, February 23, 2025

1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23; 1 Corinthians 15:45-49; Luke 6:27-38
 

Ten days before Ash Wednesday, today’s readings bring us some first-class reflective points. Often I start out with: What am I going to do this Lent? We assemble so many different devotions ... prayer summaries ... ways to get closer to the Lord. We hope and pray that we are on the right path to be closer to the Lord, who loves us just the way we are and wants us to know how close the Father, Jesus and the Spirit are with us each day — loving us and leading us.

Today the schooling of the disciples continues. We seldom reflect that Jesus is their teacher. Like ours, their schooling is intent on changing the way we think as well as the way we act. One area we shy away from and need help with is perhaps the most difficult lesson: forgiving those we consider our enemies ... those who have wronged us. This conjures feelings within us — feelings of getting even, revenge, hurting, anger, etc. The sermon continues to describe how the love command covers all forms of mercy, matching the mercy of God. And we are to forgive — and as challenging as this is, the gospel calls us to an even higher standard: to be merciful like God is merciful.

So we look at the readings. Samuel contrasts the murderous intent of Saul with the respect of David.  The king has 3,000 men; David has one companion. The king’s spear is more than a weapon, it is the symbol of royalty: The ultimate disgrace is to die by one’s own spear. David’s companion suggests this, even being the one to do this. David says to just take the spear, an act that will bring shame on the king and his “protectors.” David will not harm the king, for he is still the one God has chosen to lead His people. David will not and cannot respond with revenge. How many times have we spared our satisfaction of getting even — that if God loves all, we can love as God loves? What limits me from hurting? Is it my belief in love? My belief in God’s love? My belief in being a lesson leader? Life is a life of love: If love is missing, is God present? Let’s tackle this with the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 103 is a summons to bless the Lord. The psalm is a prayer for God’s presence … His help … His grace. God is with me, caring for me, leading me to be the best person I can and need to be. I have to swallow my pride so God's love can be witnessed and lived. Do I ask God for His help? What is holding me back? Lent is needed to reflect on this. Thanks, Lord!

Paul is asking us if we are more like Adam, in all his earthiness in doing as he wishes — or are we more like Jesus, who is always living love, and calling us to love? So Paul asks, are we living in the human body with our will — our desires — our wants — or are we sharing in the resurrection of the Lord, raised from the dead, who promised us heaven and the grace and help to get there, to realize what God’s love is all about?

Luke brings us back to the primary focus of today's readings: love! Brilliantly, Paul shows this to us in four different ways:

                                                        Love:          your enemies
                                                        Do good:    to those who hate you
                                                        Bless:         those who curse you
                                                        Pray:          for those who mistreat you

So we are to act toward our “enemies” in a way exactly opposite the way they treat us. If that is so, then retaliation is a nonstarter. We are to be LOVE … not in a passive way. How else can we interpret that we are called to EVEN surrender an undergarment when an outer cloak is taken? We — you and me — and all are called to be extravagant in our loving. Now look at our own lives — look how God has been to us — forgiving, giving, caring, loving, helping all the time — in spite of our lack of gratitude. There is no comparison: God is love … and I’ve been loved. We all have been made in God’s image and likeness, which is the likeness of His love.

So I reflect on:

• I look back on past conflicts with one I loved: Did I “dig in” or try to seek “understanding?” Would my approach be the same now? What have I learned? Am I better now because of that encounter? If not, was there “nothing” that I learned to make me better?
• I look on past conflicts with ones I DID NOT LOVE: How do or did the above questions change? Am I better now? Why or why not?

Sacred Space 2025 states:

“To live the Christian faith is always a challenge and a struggle. We are told to strive to love as the Heavenly Father loves and to aim to be perfect. In particular we are asked to be merciful and never to judge others. It is summed up in the golden rule, which is to treat others as we would want them to treat us. We need the example of Jesus, who prayed on the cross for His executioners, Father forgive them. We have much to reflect upon in our own lives and to talk to the Lord about in prayer.”