2/23/20: 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Standard for Christians is Love

When Jesus cites the Old Testament maxim, "An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth," he's pointing to a standard governing relationships--that of justice. Justice, of course, is not a bad thing. On the contrary, it assures one of his rights and responsibilities relative to others. If we steal a sheep, we owe a sheep. This standard of justice is often the one that governs our relationships: If you are kind to me, I will be kind to you. If you mess with me, I will mess with you back. But for Jesus, this standard is not enough. Instead, he wants that the standard that governs the relationships of his followers be not justice but love. This is where life gets challenging... and exhilarating.

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