Evil for Evil or Good for Good?

~~~ 1 Kings 21: 1-16 ~~~ Psalm 5 ~~~ Matt. 5: 38-42 ~~~

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow."

This particular Gospel passage is one of the more challenging ones to follow.

at first reading is seems to be advocating us to be passive in the face of injustice.

Are we to surrender to the evil abounding in this world today or is there a better way to respond? Is it possible to support what is right?

Of course it would not be prudent to act in kind to one who has done wrong to you are your family, but we do see this happen all too often. Much of the violence in our society today would diminish if people did not feel it was their 'right' to react in kind. Evil for evil will never solve our problems. When we respond in kind we are in effect no better than the one who initially committed the offense.

Without delving into the Biblical history and their system of punishment.

I would like to purpose that we return one good deed for another.

One kindness...one act of charity...one act of compassion...one expression of love...one note of appreciation...one sincere offer of forgiveness

...one phone call of caring...one courtesy on the highway

...one gift of prayer...one smile to a stranger...one empathetic embrace

in exchange for an eye for an eye and evil for evil.

Instead return to the fifth chapter of Matthew and review the 8 Beaitudes.

Especially pray with the third Beatitude:

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the land...

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you

and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me.

 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.

 Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matt.5: 5, 11-12

It requires more grace to live a life following the Beatitudes.

It is much easier just to react to the situations which empact our self worth.

Our whole life must be lived from the point of forgiveness, not getting even.

How many times are we to forgive?

May your days here be filled with peace in spite of what erupts from

today's wounded and crippled world.