GOSPEL READING:
Luke 10:25-3725 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read?" 27 And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live." 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, 34 and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, `Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" 37 He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
Meditation: If God is all-loving and compassionate, then
why is there so much suffering and evil in this world? Many
agnostics refuse to believe in God because of this seemingly
imponderable problem. If God is love then evil and suffering must
be eliminated in all its forms. What is God's answer to this human
dilemma? Jesus' parable about a highway robbery gives us a helpful
hint. Jesus told this dramatic story in response to a devout Jew
who wanted to understand how to apply God's great commandment of
love to his everyday life circumstances. In so many words this
religious-minded Jew said: "I want to love God as best as I can
and I want to love my neighbor as well. But how do I know that I
am fulfilling my duty to love my neighbor as myself?"
Jesus must have smiled when he heard this man challenge him to
explain one's duty towards their neighbor. For the Jewish believer
the law of love was plain and simple: "treat your neighbor as you
would treat yourself." The real issue for this believer was the
correct definition of who is "my neighbor". He
understood "neighbor" to mean one's fellow Jew who belonged to the
same covenant which God made with the people of Israel. Up to a
certain point, Jesus agreed with this sincere expert but, at the
same time, he challenged him to see that God's view of neighbor
went far beyond his narrow definition.
God's love and mercy extends to all
Jesus told a parable to show how wide God's love and mercy is
towards every fellow human being. Jesus' story of a brutal highway
robbery was all too familiar to his audience. The road from
Jerusalem to Jericho went through a narrow winding valley
surrounded by steep rocky cliffs. Many wealthy Jews from Jerusalem
had winter homes in Jerico. This narrow highway was dangerous and
notorious for its robbers who could easily ambush their victim and
escape into the hills. No one in his right mind would think of
traveling through this dangerous highway alone. It was far safer
to travel with others for protection and defense.
Our prejudice
gets in the way of mercy
So why did the religious leaders refuse to give any help when they
saw a half-dead victim lying by the roadside? Didn't they
recognize that this victim was their neighbor? And why did a
Samaritan, an outsider who was despised by the Jews, treat this
victim with special care at his own expense as he would care for
his own family? Who was the real neighbor who showed brotherly
compassion and mercy? Jesus makes the supposed villain, the
despised Samaritan, the merciful one as an example for the status
conscious Jews. Why didn't the priest and Levite stop to help? The
priest probably didn't want to risk the possibility of ritual
impurity. His piety got in the way of charity. The Levite
approached close to the victim, but stopped short of actually
helping him. Perhaps he feared that bandits were using a decoy to
ambush him. The Levite put personal safety ahead of saving his
neighbor.
God expects us
to be merciful as he is merciful
What does Jesus' story tell us about true love for one's neighbor?
First, we must be willing to help even if others brought trouble
on themselves through their own fault or negligence. Second, our
love and concern to help others in need must be practical. Good
intentions and showing pity, or emphathizing with others, are not
enough. And lastly, our love for others must be as wide and as
inclusive as God's love. God excludes no one from his care and
concern. God's love is unconditional. So we must be ready to do
good to others for their sake, just as God is good to us.
Jesus not only taught God's way of love, but he showed how far
God was willing to go to share in our suffering and to restore us
to wholeness of life and happiness. Jesus overcame sin, suffering,
and death through his victory on the cross. His death brought us
freedom from slavery to sin and the promise of everlasting life
with God. He willingly shared in our suffering to bring us to the
source of true healing and freedom from sin and oppression. True
compassion not only identifies and emphathizes with the one who is
in pain, but takes that pain on oneself in order to bring freedom
and restoration.
The cross shows us God's perfect love and forgiveness
Jesus truly identified with our plight, and he took the burden of
our sinful condition upon himself. He showed us the depths of
God's love and compassion, by sharing in our suffering and by
offering his life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins upon the
cross. His suffering is redemptive because it brings us healing
and restoration and the fulness of eternal life. God offers us
true freedom from every form of oppression, sin, and suffering.
And that way is through the cross of Jesus Christ. Are you ready
to embrace the cross of Christ, to suffer for his sake, and to lay
down your life out of love for your neighbor?
Psalm 69:13-16, 29-30,32-36
13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me. With your faithful help
14 rescue me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters.
16 Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
29 But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, O God, set me on high!
30 I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
32 Let the oppressed see it and be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
33 For the LORD hears the needy, and does not despise his own that are in bonds.
34 Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves therein.
35 For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah; and his servants shall dwell there and possess it;
36 the children of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell in it.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: God desires to be our neighbor, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"God our Lord wished to be called our neighbor. The Lord Jesus
Christ meant that he was the one who gave help to the man lying
half-dead on the road, beaten and left by the robbers. The prophet
said in prayer, 'As a neighbor and as one's own brother, so did I
please' (Psalm 34:14 ). Since the divine nature is far superior
and above our human nature, the command by which we are to love
God is distinct from our love of our neighbor. He shows mercy to
us because of his own goodness, while we show mercy to one another
because of God's goodness. He has compassion on us so that we may
enjoy him completely, while we have compassion on another that we
may completely enjoy him. (excerpt from CHRISTIAN
INSTRUCTION 33)