A woman was bitten by a mad dog. It looked as if she was going to die of rabies, so the doctor told her she should make her will. Taking her pen and paper she began to write. In fact, she wrote and wrote and wrote. Finally, the doctor said, “That is a very long will you’re making.” She snorted, “Will nothing! I’m making a list of all the people I’m going to bite!”
Ah, revenge is so sweet. Revenge is a dish best served cold. But let’s consider: while seeking revenge, dig two graves – one for ourself. Revenge is a sharp sword with no control, and anger is the color of revenge.
The problem with revenge is that it never evens the score. Those who are injured and who injure are tied to an escalator of physical and emotional pain that never stops. It’s a nasty spiral of violence.
How many of us have considered revenge against someone who has hurt us? Perhaps we have made a social media revenge posting. That’s a very popular and enticing way to exact revenge such as posting someone’s secrets on-line. It’s cruel and destructive.
Consider our first reading from Leviticus: "You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart…Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against any of your people. You shall love your neighbor as yourself." That is so challenging because it means we must forgive. But, many of us hold grudges. Some of us hold hate in our hearts. Hate is a mighty strong emotion, but it’s mental venom polluting our spirit, poisoning our soul, and seeping into all of our relationships. Those of us wrapped up in the arms of hate know how damaging and mind-consuming hate can become. Hate destroys the hater.
That’s why Jesus gave us would seem to be strange advice provided in today’s Gospel: 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, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well."
Jesus spoke about the endless Cycle of Revenge and Retribution. In other words, don’t prolong destructive violence and tit-for-tat behavior – eye-for-an-eye and tooth-for-a-tooth. That behavior creates blind men and women, and toothless mouths. It also destroys nations.
It’s likely Jesus’ support for non-violence was a necessary response to Roman domination and superior strength with crucifixion being the Roman final solution. The practice of crucifixion was especially popular in the Roman-occupied Holy Land. For example, in 4 B.C., the Roman general Varus crucified 2,000 Jews, and there were mass crucifixions during the first century, according to the Roman-Jewish historian Josephus. Proving Jesus’ point long after his death was the Jewish Revolt against the Roman Empire resulting in mass crucifixions, the leveling of Jerusalem, and the Temple’s destruction. Violence begets violence.
The Gospel continues: "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust."
Understandably, most of us find this advice to be a major stumbling block. It’s a tall order. It’s a very high bar over which we have to jump. How? We must not hate our enemy because it leads to revenge.
If we embrace our second reading from Paul, we can stop concluding that everyone who is opposed to us or to our way of thinking is an enemy. Let’s listen to and hear Paul. Brothers and sisters: Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy. Those temples are the ones found in each of us and in our neighbors. We must not destroy God’s temples through hate and revenge.
Destruction is hard to avoid, however, because there is a fight going on inside our temples – in our holy places – in us. It’s a fight between two wolves – a well-known tale told by a Cherokee North American grandfather to his grandson.
The old man said: “I have a fight going on inside me. It’s taking place between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”
The other wolf embodies positive emotions such as joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.
Both wolves are fighting to the death. The same fight is going on inside you, grandson, and inside every other person, too.”
His grandson took a moment to reflect on this. At last, he looked up at his grandfather and asked, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee gave a simple reply. “The one you feed.”
This Cherokee tale is instructive. We must resist evil by not feeding it. We must not let the evil wolves roam without our resistance. We must push back in a non-violent way. Part of that push-back is: we must not act like we’ve been bitten by a rapid dog by looking for someone to bite.
Deacon David Pierce
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