Matthew 5
Some people exercise favouritism thinking it is love. It is not favouritism if I do everyone a favour. Favouritism picks up only particular people and gives them alone benefits. Here, the question is how favouritism selects those who receive benefits. Mostly, favouritism chooses according to its personal taste. Or, favours are given in return to favours received. The problem of favouritism is that those not chosen feel unfair because favouritism is not based on reason.
Now, the flipside of favouritism is discrimination. Most often, discrimination is not also exercised based on reason. It operates mostly on prejudice. A prejudice is disfavour or dislike for certain people according to one’s personal taste and ideas. Like favouritism, discrimination leaves people very much upset. Why? Because there is no true and sound reason for discrimination.
Our world suffers much from favouritism and discrimination. Nevertheless, those who practice favouritism or discrimination think they love. But this is not what Jesus calls love. The love Jesus preaches calls for impartiality and sound reasoning. And this love demands to overcome one’s personal liking. Furthermore, this love urges us to abandon our instinct for survival and victory, for our enemies are often our competitors and contenders.
This love Jesus encourages us to exercise in today’s gospel begins at justice for all people against favouritism and discrimination. But it develops into unselfish, altruistic benevolence to all people. Through this love, we empty ourselves by abandoning our interests and even survival. This is what Jesus did on the crucifix – to give his life not only to saints but also to sinners. Once again, we encounter the crucifix. It is the symbol and reality of love, the perfect love of God.
