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An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.<\/em> In the ancient world, The Law of Retaliation was intended to put on a limit on the retribution: This \u201ceye for an eye\u201d Law of Retribution But today Jesus is moving his disciples\u2014and us\u2014beyond the law. We see this again These are very hard teachings to obey. Jesus always seeks to lead us further and further toward perfection. This is the perfection that Jesus asks of us. This past week we had an open house at school, And I thought to myself, So I explained what it was and why it was important to us as Catholics, First, I kept trying to imagine I also thought about how good it was And yet the crucifix is only an external sign. Jesus had many opportunities to avoid the cross. Instead he let his enemies have their way. That is what the crucifix represents.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s readings challenge us to ask ourselves Every time a Christian seeks revenge, We Christians are held to a higher standard. God tells us, \u201cTake no revenge and cherish no grudge.\u201d It has to be us. It is a good thing that our school\u2019s Catholic faith The season of Lent begins this Wednesday. But more importantly,
\nOn the surface that seems so barbaric.
\nAnd yet that law, known as the Law of Retaliation,
\nwas one of the most civilizing acts in human history.<\/p>\n
\nbefore there were any laws,
\nif a person was hurt or offended,
\nthen they would round up their clan
\nand go after the person who caused the injury
\nand their revenge would often be worse than the original crime,
\nperhaps even leading to death.<\/p>\n
\nYou could only take an eye for an eye.
\nIn other words, your retribution couldn\u2019t be worse than the crime.
\nIf someone stole your livestock,
\nyou got an equivalent amount of livestock back,
\nyou didn\u2019t get to burn their farm to the ground.<\/p>\n
\nis found throughout the Old Testament,
\nand Jesus\u2019 disciples would have been very familiar with it.
\nWe even see the remnants of the Law of Retribution today
\nin our own justice system.
\nJudges and juries attempt to give sentences that are just,
\nwithout being cruel or unusual punishment.
\nIt doesn\u2019t always happen the way it\u2019s supposed to,
\nbut at least that\u2019s the intent of the law.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAn eye for an eye\u201d might have been sufficient at one time,
\nbut to be a follower of Jesus we must go beyond that.
\n\u201cOffer no resistance to one who is evil.\u201d
\n\u201cTurn the other cheek.\u201d
\nJesus is always seeking to lead his disciples
\nfurther along the road to salvation.
\nAnd he does this by moving them beyond the law, beyond logic.<\/p>\n
\nwhen he talks about loving our neighbors and hating our enemies.
\nIt\u2019s understandable to hate an enemy, it\u2019s logical.
\nBut again, Jesus is trying to move his disciples beyond logic.
\nOr rather, he is giving his disciples a different kind of logic,
\nthe logic of love.
\n\u201cLove your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nBut Jesus has high expectations for us:
\n\u201cBe perfect, just as your heavenly father is perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nBeyond the law, beyond logic, to love.
\nIt is in fact the law of love, the logic of love.
\nThis is what it means to be Christian.<\/p>\n
\nBut he doesn\u2019t just ask it of us.
\nAs our Messiah, our savior, he goes before us in living it out.
\nHe shows us the way.
\nHe gives us the cross as is his concrete demonstration
\nof what it looks to refuse to take an eye for an eye,
\nof what it looks like to love our enemies.
\nWe see it every time we gaze upon the crucifix.
\nThe crucifix is both our example and our destiny.<\/p>\n
\nand there was a young family that came
\nwith their son to look at our kindergarten.
\nThey mentioned early on that they weren\u2019t Catholic,
\nbut they were very interested in our school.
\nAs we took them on a tour of all the classrooms they had lots of questions.
\nQuestions about Mass, questions about religion class,
\neven questions about what science class is like in a Catholic school.
\nIt\u2019s very interesting, the perceptions people have about Catholic schools,
\nand we tried to answer all their questions as we walked.
\nAnd when we got to the last classroom on the tour,
\nthe mother took me aside and pointed at the crucifix on the wall
\nand asked in a low voice,
\n\u201cIs there one of those\u2014\u201d
\nshe didn\u2019t know what to call it\u2014
\n\u201cA crucifix?\u201d I asked.
\n\u201c\u2014yes, is there one of those in every room?\u201d<\/p>\n
\na crucifix must look really strange
\nif you\u2019re not used to seeing one:
\nthe tortured body of a man with nails piercing his hands and feet,
\nnailed to the crossbeams.
\nA crucifix can look pretty gruesome.
\nAnd yet we have these hanging in classrooms with our youngest children.
\nIt must seem really odd to people outside of the Catholic faith.<\/p>\n
\nand she seemed to understand and respect the answer.
\nBut that conversation stayed with me all that night and into the next day.<\/p>\n
\nwhat the crucifix must have looked like to the mother,
\nand what must have been going through her mind as she looked at it.
\nIt helped me see the crucifix in a fresh light.<\/p>\n
\nthat the school\u2019s Catholic identity had been noticed
\nin the crucifixes hanging on the walls.
\nThere was no mistaking that she was in a Catholic school.
\nAfter all, the way you tell that you are in a Catholic church,
\nor a Catholic home, or in a Catholic school,
\nis by the crucifix, right?
\nIf there\u2019s a body on the cross, then the place must be Catholic.<\/p>\n
\nAnyone can hang a crucifix on a wall.
\nToday\u2019s Scripture reminds us that what truly marks a Christian
\nisn\u2019t what hangs on the wall,
\nbut what lies in the heart.<\/p>\n
\nHe could have stopped healing on the Sabbath\u2014
\nor at least he could have stopped doing it so publicly.
\nHe could have let Peter use his sword
\nwhen the guards came to arrest him.
\nHe could have used his divine power at any time
\nto overthrow his enemies.
\nBut he didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\nHe offered no resistance to evil.
\nHe turned the other cheek.
\nHe handed over both his tunic and his cloak.
\nHe went the extra mile all the way to Calvary.<\/p>\n
\nif we have we gotten so used to the crucifix
\nthat we\u2019ve forgotten what it stands for.
\nWhen we look at our polarized, vindictive world,
\nwe must ask ourselves,
\nHave we forgotten what the crucifix represents?<\/p>\n
\nevery time a Christian tries to take an eye for an eye,
\neven if it\u2019s only a desire in our heart,
\nthe crucifix is forgotten.
\nOther people can hold grudges in their hearts.
\nOther people can hate their enemies.
\nOther people can try to take an eye for an eye.<\/p>\n
\nWe are called to be different.
\nThat\u2019s what holiness is.
\nTo be different.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cBe holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy.\u201d
\nThe word \u201choly\u201d means to be set apart,
\nit means to be different.
\nWe are different when follow the law and logic of love.
\nWe are different when we offer no resistance to evil.
\nWe are different when we turn the other cheek after having been struck.
\nIt makes no earthly sense.
\nWho in their right mind does that?
\nWe Christians do.
\nOr, at least, we\u2019re supposed to.
\nAs St. Paul says,
\n\u201cIf any one among you considers himself wise in this age,
\nlet him become a fool.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nRevenge seems to be all we see in the world today,
\nWhen will it end?
\nWho will interrupt the cycle of violence
\nby turning the other cheek?
\nBy loving the enemy?<\/p>\n
\nIt has to be Christians.
\nOtherwise the crucifixes on our walls means nothing.<\/p>\n
\nwas recognized in the crucifixes hanging in our classrooms.
\nBut it will be even better
\nif that family enrolls in our school
\nand recognizes our Catholic faith even more visibly
\nby the way the students live their lives differently.<\/p>\n
\nPerhaps during Lent we can take some time
\nto look at the crucifix frequently
\nand try to see with fresh eyes the shocking example Jesus sets for us.<\/p>\n
\nmay the crucifixes on our walls be made visible to the world
\nby the different way in which we live our lives,
\nmoving beyond the world\u2019s law and logic
\nand embracing the law and logic of love.<\/p>\n