Freedom in Love

A Reflection on the Gospel for February 19th, 2023:
​Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Matthew
5. 38-48

Jesus said to his disciples, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”​

So often we think of freedom as the ability to follow our whims and desires, to not be bound to commitments but to make up our minds independently at any moment about what we want to do. No wonder so many people wind up being unhappy in their relationships, jobs, and responsibilities, if they believe that freedom exists only when we have no commitments. Jesus’ preaching here teaches us differently. He calls us to a radical freedom that consists of laying down our life for the other. Giving more than is asked of us. Loving even and especially when it is more than anyone could reasonably ask of us.

In Jesus’ examples, the person he is talking about is not free to choose anything about the first half of the equation. “If someone strikes you on the right cheek.” “If someone forces you to go one mile.” Much like many of our life circumstances, these things happen to us and we have to experience them. Freedom comes in the next moment. How do I respond once something has happened to me? If I can turn my cheek, even if the person strikes me again, I am free. I can give radically of myself to the one who asks or demands something from me. It may not look much like freedom or independence as we think of it; Jesus is pointing to a more complete and radical form of freedom. 

Fr Roberto Donato, the priest who founded my community of Franciscans, once told us, “The other is not forced to love me the way that I want them to, but I am free to love as much as I want to.” And we are. We are free to love irrationally, passionately, deeply. To love our enemies and those who have hurt us. To love those we wish to receive love from. To love our dear ones even when this can be difficult. In doing so, we become perfect, as our “heavenly Father is perfect.” 




Sr. Gemma

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