Let us not forget that Jesus is waiting for a response to his love for us.

We know the principle: Loving people always have something to say. A kind word also belongs to love. If the word dies, love will also become bitter. And that both in prayer and in deed.  Jesus says: “Do not judge… Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye…” (Mt 7:1,3). At first glance, it is clear that Jesus’ words speak of magnanimity. Love your enemies, “..with what measure you will measure you, such…” (Mt 7:2) and “…pray for those who insult you” (Lk 6:27-28). This is no longer an external manifestation of magnanimity, but a basic virtue, which God himself teaches us. We see the magnanimity of God that he did not spare his only Son and sacrificed for us on the cross. He loves even those who do not return his love and live in enmity against him. His love far surpasses our love.

Christ’s words raise many questions. How does the Church fulfill this command? Do Christians live by these words? Church of Christ, how are you? Is it possible to escape from the answers to these and similar questions? What about statistics on anger, trials, murders, hatred, but also alcoholism…? Church of Christ, what are your members, your hands, feet, eyes, and ears…? These and other questions are not just a poetic metaphor. It is necessary to give a personal answer to these and similar questions, but an answer on behalf of the Church is also expected. Each individually and all together. Christ does not divide us into loved ones and rejected ones. Whoever accepted the sacrament of baptism assumed obligations and rights. And this includes loving your neighbors, forgiving and forgetting insults, but also doing acts of mercy. The world needs witnesses. Witnesses of love. There is no place in their hearts for revenge. Christ does not entrust anyone with the role of avenger. The Church does not entrust anyone with the right of retaliation. We must not forget the memento. The great fighter for human rights, a black man, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, and a great and fearless follower of Christ, Martin Luther King, who was shot by an assassin for his beliefs, said in response to these words: “Do to us what you will, but we will not stop loving you.” We realize that we are to love those who do not love us. Jesus gives the commandment of love to every person. The commandment of love binds every believing Christian. Every Christian receives an example from Christ. Christ died for our sins. 

St. Basil says: “Man is a creature commanded to become God.” And St. Athanasius says: “The Son of God became man, that the sons of men might become the sons of God.” Blessed John Paul II. in the encyclical “Redemptor hominis” (art. 8) writes: “Christ united himself with every person”, and every person is at least potentially grafted into Christ. In this light, the statement of St. Augustine is very instructive: “How many times have we thought that we hate the enemy and we hated the brother