The Gospel reading for today's Sunday Mass was about the Transfiguration, where Jesus is seen with Moses (who represents the Law) and Elijah (who represents the Prophets), signifying, among other things, that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.
The Gospel reading for yesterday's Mass was from the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:43-48 --
The Gospel reading for yesterday's Mass was from the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:43-48 --
Jesus said to His disciples:
“You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for He makes His sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers and sisters only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Now, I have read that passage many, many times before and, like most, have focused on the "love your enemies" part. But recently, in preparing my Master Catechist Class presentation, I have been reflecting and meditating on the Ten Plagues of Egypt and on some of the more challenging scriptural passages in the Old Testament, which tend to depict God as angry, wrathful, vengeful, etc., such that I have been dealing with issues of scriptural interpretation. And when I heard the above reading yesterday, a new aspect jumped out at me.
"You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." Now, where was it said that? In scripture. That idea of loving neighbor and hating enemy is well supported in the plain meaning of the text of several Old Testament passages, including those referring to God's "anger," "wrath," and "hate" for this or that. And this obviously was the prevailing interpretation and understanding of that scripture at the time of Jesus.
In response to this plain meaning reading of scripture, which took the text at face-value, Jesus seems to say the exact opposite, "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust."
In several other places, Jesus likewise says, "You have heard that it was said . . . But I say to you . . ." Furthermore, Jesus goes on to say that He did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them, that is, inter alia, He is not changing the Law or teaching anything different, He is only providing a correct and true understanding of scripture (the Law and Prophets).
In other words, what Jesus is saying here is, "You have understood scripture thusly, but even though that understanding is supported by the text, you have interpeted it wrong, you misunderstand what the scripture means."
Thus, what it appears that Jesus is saying here is that we should not always necessarily adopt a face-value reading of Old Testament scripture, that there is a deeper meaning than what the plain meaning of the text would suggest. Especially with respect to those passages where God in the Old Testament appears to be contrary to the God of Love and Truth, as revealed in the New Testament, given Jesus' words here, it would appear to not be inappropriate to go beyond the plain meaning of the text, we can feel comfortable in looking for the deeper meaning, a meaning that is more consistent with Love and Truth, and that if our interpretation has God acting contrary to Love and Truth, then we have interpreted it wrong. Such interpretation of deeper meaning would not be abolishing such scripture, even if it is different from the plain meaning, but would be fulfilling it.
"You have heard that it was said . . . But I say to you . . ."
.
"You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." Now, where was it said that? In scripture. That idea of loving neighbor and hating enemy is well supported in the plain meaning of the text of several Old Testament passages, including those referring to God's "anger," "wrath," and "hate" for this or that. And this obviously was the prevailing interpretation and understanding of that scripture at the time of Jesus.
In response to this plain meaning reading of scripture, which took the text at face-value, Jesus seems to say the exact opposite, "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust."
In several other places, Jesus likewise says, "You have heard that it was said . . . But I say to you . . ." Furthermore, Jesus goes on to say that He did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them, that is, inter alia, He is not changing the Law or teaching anything different, He is only providing a correct and true understanding of scripture (the Law and Prophets).
In other words, what Jesus is saying here is, "You have understood scripture thusly, but even though that understanding is supported by the text, you have interpeted it wrong, you misunderstand what the scripture means."
Thus, what it appears that Jesus is saying here is that we should not always necessarily adopt a face-value reading of Old Testament scripture, that there is a deeper meaning than what the plain meaning of the text would suggest. Especially with respect to those passages where God in the Old Testament appears to be contrary to the God of Love and Truth, as revealed in the New Testament, given Jesus' words here, it would appear to not be inappropriate to go beyond the plain meaning of the text, we can feel comfortable in looking for the deeper meaning, a meaning that is more consistent with Love and Truth, and that if our interpretation has God acting contrary to Love and Truth, then we have interpreted it wrong. Such interpretation of deeper meaning would not be abolishing such scripture, even if it is different from the plain meaning, but would be fulfilling it.
"You have heard that it was said . . . But I say to you . . ."
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