The Other Cheek::: Thursday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time

 Year A

1 Corinthians 8:1b-7.11-13

Psalm 139:1-3.13-14ab.23-24 (R.24b)

Luke 6:27-38

The Other Cheek 

Yesterday we looked at Jesus's Profile and how he who emptied himself to the point of dying on the Cross invites us to imitate him. Today we are reminded that, we should be merciful as our heavenly Father is merciful.  I choose the title "the other cheek " because of a truth St. Thomas Aquinas pointed out about Jesus Christ's passion, and with this we will look at how Justice and Mercy is linked in Love.

Saint Thomas Aquinas, in his commentary on Saint John’s Gospel, pointed out clearly that Jesus, when brought before Annas (cf. John 18:22ff) did not offer His other cheek to be struck. So what Jesus refers to concerning turning the other cheek, Saint Thomas writes, “was your interior disposition; that is, if necessary we should be ready not to be intolerant of anyone who hurts us, and we should be ready to put up with this kind of treatment, or worse than that.”

Since God is Love, and Love can reward the good person and punish the evil person, making Love the Judge of all things, Love is Justice.  But interestingly, Mercy is the gift of that love to those or in the case of redemption, all of us, who do not, according to the standards of justice, deserve it. Mercy is showing love to the person who does not deserve it. This is what Jesus stresses on today. SHOW LOVE TO THE PERSON UNDESERVING OF YOUR LOVE. 

Since Love punishes and rewards, if the person deserves to be reprimanded and shown the right thing to be done, then a a loving person, do it. I am not saying revenge or retaliate, which more often than not, according to our rational nature we see it to be the right thing to do. Imagine that someone has hurt you, what will flow from your reasoning is that the person needs to be paid back in his own coin.

More often this reasoning is fueled by anger, and rationality leads to irrational behaviors and people ends up hurting even the person more than necessary and even hurting themselves more. We are called to correct the Love way, we called to be merciful. 

 As Jesus makes us aware, anyone can love someone who loves him or her in return. However to love our enemies and expect nothing or no love in return; that is an act of mercy. Paul in today's first reading cautions us not to wound the conscience of the ignorant whose faith are weak.  Are you a Christian with a strong faith? Then note that the one with weak faith is learning a lot from you, correct the Love way. 

Are you a Christian with a weak faith, then note that those with strong faith are humans and their human emotions can take possession of them sometimes, don't rely on them so much, but rely on the foundation, Jesus Christ our Lord.

By Sylvester Amakye-Quayson