In today’s readings from St. Paul and in the Gospel, we see that the ethical teachings of Jesus expand on the Old Testament ideas of righteousness. Not only does Jesus see our relationship to our neighbor as a measuring rod by which our relationship to God is measured, but also raises that measuring rod to incorporate sacrificial, risk-taking love. Jesus has made the Cross, and its significance for our lives, an integral part of the foundation of our
ethical mandate.
At its heart, the Cross speaks of love that sacrifices, as well as love that is willing to risk comfort for the sake of the Kingdom. So, Jesus talks about blessing the neighbor who would curse you. Jesus speaks about letting go of the idea of taking revenge or getting even with the one who has hurt you. Jesus speaks of generosity that actually amounts to giving things away, without looking for anything in return.
Jesus challenges us to try to imitate our heavenly Father and gives us his own life as an example. In Jesus, we have a love that risked and sacrificed all.
