The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5: 38-39

The teaching of Jesus in this gospel passage clearly goes beyond the dictate of the Old Testament that says: “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”

Jesus taught his followers to avoid vengeance; to “love your enemies”; to “do good to those who insult and persecute you.” The example of Jesus who forgave his enemies from the cross because they “know not what they do”, has been repeated by loyal Christians; like St. Stephan, St. Paul and Maximilian Kolbe, down through the ages.

If you fight fire with fire, you get a scorched earth. If you return vengeance for vengeance, you will only magnify hatred and destruction in this world. Jesus came to save, not to destroy the world, and the weapon He uses is love.

When St. Paul was a young man, he was overcome with vengeance, taking on the role of a kind of Christian bounty-hunter, dragging his enemies (Christians) before the Sanhedrin to be tried and punished. After his conversion, he was consumed by a new fire-the fire of love, which empowered him to suffer all kinds of persecutions for the sake of the gospel.

There is a beautiful prayer, attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, which celebrates the saving power of Christ’s love over the soul –destroying forces of hatred and vengeance. It is a lovely salute to Christ and addresses his new commandment of love:
“Make me a channel of your peace,
where there is hatred, let me show love.”

Fr. Hugh Duffy