Last week, I wrote about how we as disciples need to go further than just the minimums in our journey with Christ. He calls us to a deeper love of Him and neighbor.
This week’s Gospel shows how deep that love needs to go. Can we truly love our neighbor, especially if they’re an enemy or have hurt us in any way? It’s extremely difficult, even painful, to do so. Loving our enemy can and will be one way we need to “take up our cross” as we follow His way.
Our Lord shows us what this looks like, as He often does. During His extremely painful suffering on the Cross, did Jesus hold it against the Jewish leaders and Roman officials? Did He criticize His followers for abandoning Him? No, He offered forgiveness as He cried out, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” He ordered forgiveness to those who hurt Him, those who spit on Him, those who left Him alone, those who killed Him.
Can we do this? Yes, but it takes a great amount of humility to do so. It takes the risk of pain, suffering, humiliation, self denial. It takes the strength to “turn the other cheek”, sometimes literally, and accept the blows that come.
So, why do this? Saying, “Jesus said so” is a perfectly accurate answer, but the better answer is, “Jesus did it.” To be a disciple is to be a follower or student of a master. It’s to sit at His feet, learn from what He does and says, and then go out and emulate Him. Our goal as disciples is to hear Our Lord say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.”
The challenge for us is to be true disciples who have learned and continue to learn from Our Lord, and love as He did even to the greatest pain we can imagine. That’s what it means to “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” If we accept this challenge and genuinely show the love of neighbor that Our Lord modeled, we will be greeted by Him as good and faithful servants. That alone should make it worth the risk of pain and difficulties that come with discipleship.
