“FIRST IMPRESSIONS”

7th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME -C- FEBRUARY 23, 2025

I Samuel 26: 2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23; I Corinthians 15: 45-49; Luke 6: 27-38

by Jude Siciliano, OP

Dear Preachers:

A friend once told me that as a child, she heard today’s Gospel and thought, “That’s awfully hard! But no one in my church does it, so I don’t have to.” If I were ever tempted to switch the Gospel reading, this would be one of those Sundays. (Though, truthfully, none of the readings are “easy,” some feel less gut-wrenching for the preacher.)

When I was a child, this Gospel went against everything we learned. Suggesting we “love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who mistreat us” would have been laughable. No one seriously considered “turn the other cheek.” Even if someone pointed out, “Jesus said it,” the response would likely be, “That was back then – this is now,” or, “Well, He was God; He can’t expect us to do the same.”

You can see why this reading might make a preacher squirm. It’s particularly hard to accept when so many innocent people suffer at the hands of tyrants. Yet, considering the state of our world, perhaps we shouldn’t dismiss this passage so quickly. It may hold the very key to transformation.

Jesus isn’t asking for minor improvements or a slightly higher ethical standard. This isn’t about being “a little kinder” or forgiving “one more time.” If it were, we wouldn’t need Him – we could manage it ourselves. Instead, Jesus introduces something radical: a new way of living, grounded in the reign of God.

Those who embrace this new way are transformed by the Spirit. They see life through a different lens. What once seemed impossible – loving enemies, forgiving offenses – becomes second nature. This isn’t about earning merit or pleasing God; it’s about responding to the profound change Jesus brings to our lives. Because of this new life within us, we interpret the world differently and respond in ways that reflect Christ’s presence.

If I continued to act as everyone else does, it would mean Jesus is dead, His resurrection never happened, and His Spirit isn’t alive in the world. But because of Him, what once seemed impossible is now possible. His life becomes our life, making it possible to love and forgive as He did.

A particularly challenging aspect of this teaching involves victims of abuse or injustice. Some might misinterpret Jesus’ words as a call to remain victims. He is not saying that. As Fred Craddock and Robert Schreiter insightfully explain, Jesus’ teachings empower the oppressed to take charge of their lives.

Craddock notes that Jesus speaks to the poor, the victims of Roman oppression and wealthy landowners. His message is about refusing to be defined by victim-hood. In verses 27–31, Jesus urges us to take the initiative by loving, caring, and giving. In verses 32–36, He challenges us to live beyond reciprocity, whether dealing with enemies or friends. Our behavior is rooted not in others’ actions but in the God we worship. “Be merciful as your Father is merciful.”

God forgives even those who have not loved Him and is generous beyond measure. As Jesus says, “A good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap.” This abundance of grace transforms us, enabling us to reflect God’s mercy to others. Jesus breaks through our narrow categories of who “deserves” love and calls us to a divine standard of generosity and compassion.

Schreiter emphasizes that reconciliation begins with the victim, not the wrongdoer. Wrongdoers rarely acknowledge their actions or seek to make amends. If reconciliation depended solely on them, it would rarely happen. Instead, God restores the victim’s humanity—what the wrongdoer sought to destroy. This restoration is the heart of reconciliation, a grace-filled process that brings us into communion with God.

Throughout history, God has taken the side of the oppressed, the poor, and the marginalized. In Jesus, the ultimate victim, God begins the work of reconciling the world. His life, death, and resurrection show us that transformation is possible, not through retaliation but through the life-giving power of love and forgiveness.

Click here for a link to this Sunday’s readings:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022325.cfm