Message of Abbot Paul - Tuesday 15th June
Message from Fr Paul for Tuesday, 15th June 2021
Yesterday evening we heard from the Prime Minister what had been previously leaked to the media, that the present lockdown arrangements, with a few exceptions, will remain in place until 19th July. I suspect these will be a difficult four weeks for many of us and particularly worrying for the hospitality industry, which is so important to the economy of our country. At Belmont we have three weddings in July, so please spare a thought and a prayer for couples all over the county, who face days of uncertainty ahead. Let us also pray that the situation as regards the Delta variant will become clearer and easier to control.
In today’s Gospel passage from Matthew, (Mt 5: 43-48), we continue our reading of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus instructs his disciples on love of neighbour, but things aren’t quite as simple as that, for he begins by saying, “You have learnt how it was said: You must love your neighbour and hate your enemy.”
Whereas the first half of that sentence is most certainly in the Old Testament, you can search high and low, but you will never find the second half. Whoever said and taught “hate your enemy,” it was not God in the Law. There’s a lot of hatred in the Old Testament, and the Israelites were constantly fighting against their enemies, but God did not command them to hate their enemies. What Jesus is quoting here is probably what the scribes and Pharisees taught, their interpretation of the Law. Jesus teaches the exact opposite. What he tells his disciples is this, “But I say this to you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike. For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
The teaching of Jesus, that comes directly from the heart and mind of the Father, is diametrically opposed to that of the scribes and Pharisees, religious authorities, who not only lead people astray, but also tie heavy burdens on their backs that weigh them down, oppressed and ridden with guilt. Jesus teaches not simply by word but by deed. As we read the words, “Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you,” we cannot but remember his crucifixion, when Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” For the followers of Jesus, there can be only one model and criterion of behaviour, and that is God himself. Human beings are basically good and were created by God to be good, but a disciple must go further than ordinary goodness. Jesus ends with a bombshell: “You must be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” When the disciples heard that, how could they have felt? How do we feel? What do we think? Is it even possible? With God all things are possible, we have Jesus to show us the way and we have the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen us. Jesus does not ask the impossible, but only that we have faith.
