A Reflection on the Readings for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 23, 2025
Reading 1: 1 Sm 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13
Reading 2: 1 Cor 15:45-49
Gospel: Lk 6:27-38
The books of 1 & 2 Samuel are part of what is known as Deuteronomistic History (DH). Along with the books of Joshua, Judges, and 1 & 2 Kings, these books relate a version of Israel’s history from the end of the desert wandering of the Exodus and their arrival in the plains of Moab just across the Jordan River from the Promised Land, through about 700 years of history to the dissolution of the nation of Israel resulting in the Babylonian Captivity. The date of the composition of DH is uncertain but it would have been sometime between the fall of the northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 and the Babylonian Exile of 587-538 B.C. In the Christian bible, these books are listed as “Historical Books” however, in the Hebrew canon, these books are referred to as the “Former Prophets” from a belief in the Hebrew tradition that the writing of history was a prophetic endeavor – learning from your history prevents mistakes in the future.
The books of 1 & 2 Samuel (originally one book) cover about a century of that history from the close of the period of the Judges up to the beginning of the monarchy in Israel under Saul and David. A simple but incomplete way of understanding this portion of the history is to say that 1st Samuel covers the monarchy period under Saul and 2nd Samuel that of David. “Samuel” is the Hebrew title of these books acknowledging Samuel as the last Judge of Israel and the one responsible for establishing the monarchy.
The history portrayed in 1 & 2 Samuel is from the 10th century B.C. However, as it was not committed to writing until about the 7th century, it is not intended to be a continuous or complete history of the period, but rather, a series of episodes passed down from generation to generation until the unknown author gathered these stories together and committed them to write.
David is portrayed to us as a man of great faith in the God who protected him and made him victorious in most of his battles. He was also loved by the people of the nation, which caused Saul to be jealous of him. Our first reading from chapter 26 portrays a time when King Saul was attempting to kill David because he feared the people would make David king in place of himself. Although David had the right and the opportunity to defend himself and put an end to Saul’s attempt to kill him, David would not do so because he believed that God had chosen Saul as the first king of Israel and, therefore, Saul was “the anointed one of God.” David was setting the tone for our gospel this week by showing “love of enemies,” or more specifically, charity toward our enemies, a hard concept for us to grasp. How can you love someone who hates you or wishes you harm? The message of our first reading is “charity,” even toward those who wish us harm.
In our second reading St. Paul reminds us that although, in the flesh, we are descendants of Adam; by the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ we have been united to God spiritually and so we “bear the image of the heavenly one.”
Our gospel this week from Luke begins with the command to “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” In our first reading, David gives us a real-life example of what that commandment means. When Jesus commands us to love our enemies as he loves them, he is not telling us we must have the same feelings for our enemies that we have for our parents, our children, or even our closest friends. We are to have unconditional goodwill and charity toward all others, even those who wish ill for us. This is the charity St. Paul speaks of, that is patient, kind, never jealous or boastful, never delights in wrong-doing but bears all things.
But our gospel this week also commands other things of us that are even more difficult for us to comprehend. If someone steals something from you, don’t demand it back! If someone wants to borrow from you, lend it to him, and don’t expect repayment! If he strikes you on the right cheek, offer the left one to him as well!
Jesus calls us to a higher standard; one that most of us will find difficult to adhere to. We are to love and offer charity to everyone, as Jesus does. We are to set a standard of charity by our actions that will be an example to others and cause them to follow that standard as well. Although the standards Jesus calls us to in this gospel are difficult for us to follow, he makes them easy for us by giving us the “golden rule:” “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” If we honestly ask ourselves, “How do I want to be treated?” Then we will know how to carry out these commands.
The golden thread for this week? “Love as I have loved you.”
Reference: ©LPi
