HOMILY FOR SEVENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A), FEBRUARY 19, 2017

THEME: "Non-Violence: A Test of Christian Maturity"

By: Rev. Fr. Thomas Oyode

In today's gospel reading (Matt. 5:38-48), Jesus continues his teaching on the Law with the antithesis. In today's pericope, he engages the Jewish justice system of retaliation also called the _lex talionis_(the law of retaliation): 'an eye for an eye'. We may not fully appreciate this law if we relate with it in isolation from its ancient Israelite context that is in sharp contrast with today's justice system. Certain passages in the Old Testament indicate that this system was efficient for entrenching justice and fairness (see Deuteronomy 19:21). This was meant to ensure that damages, whether intentional or unintentional (Lev. 24:20; Ex. 21:24), were paid for in a manner that is not arbitrary. However it neither prohibits vengeance nor checks the possibility of war and conflict. In the same way, Jesus engages the law of love for neighbour which is captured in the first reading (Lev. 19:1-2.17-18). He finds this law equally myopic as it limits the practice of love to one's neighbour which in this sense is one's kinsman or family member.

We would recall that Jesus declared that he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfil it (Matt. 5:17). He thus, challenges us today press a little more forward in deepening our understanding of the law, expand this understanding broader and deeper both in interpreting and applying the law; to go extra mile, to turn the other cheek. It is like Jesus the Teacher is saying _move on, push ahead, grow up, there is room for improvement, do more._( 5:40, 42). Here one could imagine a teacher of a difficult subject like mathematics or symbolic logic giving her students every reason to love the subject, to study harder and to keep doing exercises so as to sustain a deeper knowledge of the subject as well as to be able to solve problems with ease. As if this may not be a motivation enough, borrowing from the words of our first reading, Jesus lives us with God our Father as our model and motivation: be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect (5:48). This is indeed a higher stake, a more difficult assignment. Who can be as perfect as God?

We may have to attempt an understanding of what Jesus means by being perfect as the Father. As used in the New Testament, the Greek word for perfect would be _teleioi_ which also means _completeness_. However, scholars agree that the use here is Aramaic and that Aramaic is closer to Hebrew in meaning. A possible Hebrew word for completeness therefore is _shalom_ which means _soundness_, _wholeness_, _peacefulness_. But if Jesus is quoting from the Old Testament, it would appear that none of these meanings would fit our interpretation unless we relate them with Genesis 17:1 where God told Abraham, 'walk before me and be thou perfect. Here Abraham is expected to be a man of peace and a separated person from the Gentiles. This is in both Hebrew and Aramaic ( _tamin_ _tamam_ ) different from _kadosh_ which means _holy_ (see Lev. 11:44-45) as we also find in today's first reading. Understood in this context, 'perfect' in biblical language becomes more of a relational term than a mere attitude. It means suitable or mature (Dennis Batcher, 2011). Thus Jesus is inviting us to grow up and be mature Christians in our relationships. We may not be morally perfect but he expects us to act with more maturity and in complete love. This kind of growth would be seen in a kind of love that transcends the boundaries of family, ethnic, national and religious affiliations; it would include even the enemy, the one who provokes us to war and conflict.

There is no doubt that Christians all over the world, including Nigeria, are being provoked to war and conflict more than ever before. It appears there is still an extra cloak that we are holding back and the enemy is bent on hijacking it. We have turned the other cheek over and over again and it appears there is even no more cheek to turn because the whole of the Christian's face has been scarred. Is Jesus saying we should keep on receiving such humiliations? Too difficult, but yes. The ancient early Christian document, the _Didache_ tells us that before the era of Constantine, this passage of the bible on being perfect was the motivation for Christian non-violence in the face of persecution. It is therefore important that, as we are faced with so much threats coming from religious extremists, bigots and terrorists, we reflect on the Christian teaching on non-violence and love of neighbour. At a time when the slogan, 'America First' has become a household maxim, Christian policy makers would need to reflect on how take Jesus' teaching on non-retaliation more seriously so as to be complete, mature and peaceful Christians. At a time when wickedness and hatred and value for human life no longer makes any meaning, no matter how difficult it may be for us to swallow, Jesus wants us to remember that it takes Christian maturity to forgive hurts and love those who hurt us.

It must be borne in mind, however, that non-violence is not against self-defense. Self-defense is a commitment towards the preservation of life and the elimination of the aggressor. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that the former is intended, the other is not (CCC 2263). Therefore, where justice and human rights, including right to life, are threatened, the Christian must stand to defend justice and truth but always in respect for the law of the land. In a society where fulani herdsmen have gone on a rampage, violating farmers' rights to livelihood, all law enforcement agents must realise that the mandate to love beyond boundaries also means justice must be pursued not minding whose horse is gored. I'm thinking of a situation where Christians in government would realise that non-violence does not mean silence when human life is threatened, where all of us would realise that being perfect as the Father means being mature enough to appreciate, value and defend the Christian faith and life against extermination from the enemy; To stand and speak up against wickedness. The lives of Martin Luther King and Gani Fawehinmi are modern examples. Also, non-violence would require an awareness that faithful christian witnessing is not short of martyrdom, a daily dying to our comfort, daily denial of a recourse to violence, daily submissiveness to laws of the land. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of martyrs, pray for us.