Perfecting Love

Si enim diligitis eos qui vos diligunt quam mercedem habebitis, nonne et publicani hoc faciunt? Et si salutaveritis fratres vestros tantum, quid amplius facitis, nonne et ethnici hoc faciunt. Publicani quidem Juadaei, exactores Romanes vocabant, qui de republica curam habebant. Dicuntur hic publicani, qui publica vectigalia exigunt, qui publica negotia saeculi lucra sectantur. Ethnici enim Graece, Latine gentes dicuntur. Nam ἔθνος Graece gens dicitur. Atque ideo gentiles nuncupati sunt, qui tales sunt ut fuerunt geniti, sub peccato scilicet idolis servientes. Talis enim in hac Evangelii sententia sensus est: Si etiam publicani et ethnici erga dilectores suos nature duce norunt esse benefici, quantum vos, inquit, quibus ut gradus professionis eximior, ita cura necesse est sit virtutis uberior, latioris sinu dilectionis amplecti debetis etiam non amantes. Unde quaesitu dignum videtur quomodo cum Dominus eos qui diligentes se solum diligunt, benefacientibus sibi benefaciunt amicis, ferantur non modo perfectam non habere charitatem, verum peccatoribus aequiparari testetur ille pectoris Dominici recubitor, Epistolam de Dei et proximi dilectione consummans, ne uspiam inimicos monuerit esse diligendos, sed absolute dixerit: Quod si diligamus invicem, Deus in nobis manet, et charitas ejus in nobis perfecta est. Quod si quem movet, sciat cum non de inimicorum amore docuisse, sed et illos fratrum nomine comprehendisse, fraternique amoris intuitu diligi, et pro eis praecepisse orare, scilicet ut non semper inimici remaneant, sed resipiscant a diaboli laqueis, nobisque germano foedere socientur. Nec durum videatur quod nondum credentes, propter spem tamen credendi fratres appellari posse dicimus. Nam idem Joannes eos etiam filios Dei vocare legitur: Quod Jesus, inquit, moriturus erat pro gente, et non tantum pro gente, sed ut filios Dei, qui erant dispersi, congregaret in unum. Quandiu enim dispersi, nondum filii sunt; sed conveniendo in unum jam efficiuntur filii. Estote ergo vos perfecti, sicut et Pater vester coelestis perfectus est. Sine ista dilectione, qua et inimicos et persecutores nostros diligere jubemur, ea superius dicta sunt, implere quis potest? Perfectio autem misericordiae, qua plurimum animae laboranti consulitur, ultra dilectionem inimici porigi non potest. Et ideo sic clauditur: Estote ergo vos perfecti, sicut Pater vester qui in coelis est, qui perfectus est. Ita tamen ut Deus intelligatur perfectus ut Deus, et anima perfecta tanquam anima. Gradum tamen esse aliquem Pharisaeorum justititiae, quae ad veterem legem pertinet, hinc intelligitur, quod manifestum ex his praeceptis omnem nostram intentionem in interiora gaudia dirigi, ne foris quaerentes mercedem huic saeculo conformemur, et amittamus promissionem tanto solidioris atque firmioris, quanto interioris beatitudinis, qua nos elegit Deus conformes fieri imaginis Filii sui. Rabanus Maurus, Commentariorum In Matthaeum, Liber II Source: Migne PL 107.832b-833b

If you love those who love you what reward shall you have? Do not the tax collectors do that? And if you greet your brothers alone, what more do you do than the Gentiles? 1 The tax collectors are what the Romans called exactors, who have care for public affairs. Here they are called tax collectors who exact public taxes and seek the world's wealth for public business. And what is called Gentiles in Latin is 'ethnici' in Greek. For 'ethnos' in Greek means Gentile. And therefore they who do such things are called Gentiles, as born so, beneath sin serving idols. Such is the meaning of the Gospel passage. If indeed the tax collectors and Gentiles are lovers of those who by nature they know do them benefits, thus how much more for you, He says, by the more excellent rank of your profession, is care necessary so that your virtue be more abundant and the lap of your love be broader, so as to embrace even those who do not love you. Because of which it seems a worthy question to ask how it is that when the Lord said that those who loved only those who loved them, and did good only to their friends who did good to them, had not a perfect love, that then that one who leaned on the breast of the Lord, who equally bore witness to sinners, in that letter concerning the perfection of love of neighbours and God, nowhere exhorted the love of enemies, but indeed said: 'If we love one another, God is in us, and His love is perfected in us.' 2 Because, as this may trouble some, he knew that when he did not teach the love of enemies, he understood them under the name of brothers, who are to be loved with a fraternal love, and he commanded us to pray for them, obviously that they not always remain enemies, but recognising the snares of the devil, they associate with us in a bond of brotherliness. Nor does it seem difficult that we can yet speak of those who are not yet believers by the name of brothers on account of hope. For that same John is read to call them sons of God when he says that Jesus should die for the people and not only for the people but that He gather into one the sons of God who are scattered.' 3 For while scattered they are not yet sons, but coming together they are made sons. Therefore be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. 4 For without this love by which we are commanded to love enemies and persecutors, who is able to fulfull those things which have been spoken? 5 Indeed the perfection of mercy, which supports many souls in trials, cannot reach beyond the love of enemies. And thus He concludes: 'Therefore be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect,' He who is perfect. Therefore God is understood to be perfect as God, the perfect soul as a soul. However there is certain state of the righteousness of the Pharisee, which pertains to the old Law, from which it is understood that it is clear from these commands that all our intention is to be directed to interior joy, not seeking to be conformed outside itself to a reward of this world, and dismissing any such promise much more strongly and firmly as much more is our interior blessedness, by which 'God chooses us to be conformed to the image of His Son.' 6 Rabanus Maurus, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Book 2 1 Mt 6.46-47 2 1 Jn 4.12 3 Jn 11.51-52 4 Mt 6.48 5 Mt 6.17 6 Rom 8.28-29