We’ve probably all said this phrase at some point or another: “I owe you one.” When we say this phrase, it is because someone has just helped us out of a tight spot or have given us some sort of assistance that we would’ve struggled with ourselves. An individual helps us or we help the other, and this phrase comes up almost instantly at the end. It shows us something about the way that we are wired as human beings: when someone gives us something or helps us with something, we instantly want to reciprocate. We want to repay and to return what has been given to us.
With that said- and as natural as that might seem to us- is this actually a good practice for living out a life of faith? Can we live out this principal of give and take as a general rule? It seems that, by the way that our faith consistently challenges us to “up the ante,” perhaps there is much more to the story, and we need to delve much deeper than just a give and take relationship with each other and with our God.
The first reading really gets us to understand the heart of this in a very striking way. The first book of Samuel is describing to us a story that is really a part of an ongoing saga. It is tremendously helpful to go back to understand the entire saga from the beginning, because it really lends itself to the weight and gravity of what is going on. David, as you can likely recall, is a military leader, and a very strong one at that. He consistently goes about and crushes enemies that go against the Lord and His people. In fact, he is so successful, that others become jealous, including Saul. Saul becomes so embittered and so filled with this envy and this jealousy that he tries to kill David several times. In fact, that is what we find Saul still trying to do in the reading today. He is out essentially looking for David to put an end to him.
However, the tables have turned in this particular account, because, no longer does Saul have the upper hand. He is the one that is weak at this moment, and does not realize that he is suddenly asleep well within the grasp of David. At that moment, David could have been bitter about the constant struggle- and he could have ended it right there. He could have struck Saul a mortal blow- even with his own speak.
The astonishing thing, though, is that he doesn’t. Rather than do what would have seemed to have been a just reciprocation or giving back to Saul what he had taken from him, he rather reasons with Abishai. Abishai is there encouraging him to let him strike Saul down, and to end the constant tug-of-war that is taking place between Saul and David. It would seem in that moment that David had every right to do so… and yet, what does David do? He tells Abishai to do no harm too the king. Rather, David is smart. He takes the spear, and he takes the water jug that were by Saul’s head, and removes them. Later on, they call to Saul, to show that his life had been spared, and that David, even though he had every opportunity to strike Saul down, did not, but rather left him alive. It shows something rather important. No matter where David was, and no matter what he had the chance to do, he wanted to remain just in the sight of the Lord. He never wanted to do anything that would go against that or that would make him do evil, even if it may have seemed just in our own view of things. He didn’t want to reciprocate, but instead wanted to follow the Lord’s commands. He desired to remain above reproach.
The second reading continues the ongoing excerpts that we have been reading from Saint Paul and his first letter to the Corinthians. It gives us a very real view of the reality that God has come to change conventional ways. He juxtaposes two different Adams- the first one we are all very familiar with, but the second one is a bit different, because the second Adam is Jesus Christ Himself. While this might seem inconsequential, it shows that there is a movement away from the ways of the world into heavenly realities. This is important, because if we understand it in the context of the middle of the first reading and the Gospel, it really shows us some important things, that we will arrive at momentarily.
Finally, the Gospel of Luke shows us that Jesus is continuing to challenge his disciples to do things in a new way. Where we heard the Beatitudes being proclaimed last week, we are now hearing these challenges to common experience being expanded and made even more bold. The Beatitudes, taken as a whole, make sense, as they encourage us to live in trust of God. There still is a certain level of difficulty, but it isn’t altogether too much to bear. This is where these challenges come in, because, all of a sudden, the difficulty is multiplied. “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” This is a little bit strange, because the conventional wisdom has always been to live eye for an eye. To do unto others as they have done unto you. To, basically, dish out to someone else what they dish out to you, good, bad, or indifferent.
That is not what Jesus is saying here: he is encouraging this radical way of mercy- to not only forgive, but to even be willing to accept a second blow- to give the other person a second chance. To the one who strikes you on one cheek- offer the other. To the one who takes your cloak, give your tunic. This seems rather difficult, if not impossible, if you really consider the spirit of what God is saying!
That makes it important that we ask a question, however: what is God saying to us this week? He is telling us about the way of a disciple, and that way isn’t always easy. In fact, being a disciple is showing mercy to others, even in the moments when it hurts or doesn’t feel quite right. If we go back and consider the first reading, we see David really attempting to live this out as best as he can. Saul has been chasing him around out of jealousy and envy forever, and David likely had every reason to be angry- and somehow, he wasn’t! He could have ended it all right there, and felt justified- and yet, God was calling Him to a place of mercy.
In our common experience, we likely have instances of this all the time. We have people who treat us poorly, and yet can still hold the high esteem of others. Perhaps there are those who are envious and jealous of us or of others around us, and it seems that they are always trying to one up us or those around us. Perhaps it may even feel like they are trying to crush us! Perhaps there are those that we disagree with, whether it is in our opinions on things, or even on matters that seem important to us.
Or maybe things get worse! Perhaps there are individuals in our lives that just make it difficult to live out of a place of love and charity. Perhaps they chronically tell lies and we see them routinely away with it. Perhaps there are individuals who make life difficult at work, at home, or at school. By traditional, earthly wisdom, we should do unto them as they do to us- we should reciprocate and cause them just as much misery and pain as they cause in our lives…
If we listen to that voice of Saint Paul, though, we aren’t supposed to live in that earthly way…
My brothers and sisters, the reason the Gospel this weekend is so important is that we will encounter all sorts of unjust, duplicitous, and even evil individuals in our lives. Often these people may feel like they take everything that we have simply because they can. Yet, the way of the Christian is actually not a way to reciprocate, and to do the exact same back to them, but to recognize that we are to show mercy. This recognizes that we have our own need for mercy. We have a God who is so interested and loving to each of us that He gives us an abundance of mercy when we are the one that is unjust, unkind, or even selfish. How can we receive that and not give it to others? We, as recipients of mercy, should become distributers of it as well. It may not always feel good at that time, and it may not even feel like we owe someone anything. Yet, it is what Christ asks us to do.
So, my brothers and sisters, this is the challenge for you and I this week: look for opportunities to show mercy, especially in the person that you feel only deserves their just deserts, or what they have done to you. The one who takes so much from you, or even robs and steals your peace. We have a God that is so merciful to us- and that is His invitation to each of us to also extend that mercy to each other as well.
Let’s not focus on owing one another- or even reciprocating, especially when others do us wrong. Rather, let’s focus on being a people who, even in the moments when it is difficult to love and to show mercy. Christ has challenged all of us: “Be merciful, just as your heavenly Father is merciful.”
