Monday 18th June, 2012
1 Kings 21:1-16. Lord, listen to my groaning— Ps 5:2‑3, 5-7. Matthew 5:38-42.

  
Meditation: mp3 | podcast
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This is a sneaky little gospel message.

Jesus turns on its head our notion of justice. He says: ‘Don’t lose the fight by seeking revenge and vengeance; hold onto to your dignity in the face of anger or oppression.’ Jesus is telling us that relationships of power do not need to be based on force. Violence leads to violence. Jesus tells us to be neither aggressive nor passive, but to stand our ground and attempt to meet force and aggression with profound human dignity.

This is easier said than done, of course, but that’s the point. It is easier to retaliate or be submissive. In his passion, Jesus would ultimately show us the way of absorbing violence without returning in kind or being weakened. Because of Jesus, we know that cycles of violence can be broken in the most surprising and life-giving ways.