FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Readings: Deut. 30:10-14/Ps. 68:14,17,30-31,33-34,36-37/Col. 1:15-20/Lk. 10:25-37
Do this, and you will live!
May the Lord give you His peace!
The evangelist Luke is renowned for his captivating and intriguing parables, and today’s Gospel widely known as the “parable of the Good Samaritan” is undoubtedly one of them. It begins with an expert in the law (a lawyer or scribe), who approached the Lord Jesus with a question about how he can attain eternal life. The lawyer’s sole intention was to test the Lord, but despite his diabolic aim, the Lord did not ignore his question, for He always reveals the path to eternal life to those who are willing to embrace it. The lawyer was directed to simply practise the two fantastic responses he gave to the questions of the Lord Jesus to have life (cf. Lk. 10:28; 28).
The first response of the lawyer was to the question of what is written in the Law and how he reads it (cf. Lk. 10:26). Why that double question? The orthodox Jews put around their wrists little leather boxes called phylacteries, which contained certain texts from the First Testament (Ex. 13:1-10, 11-16; Dt. 6:4-9, 11:13-20) and the lawyer added to the decrees found in the little sacred box “love your neighbour as yourself” (cf. Lv. 19:18). Thus, the Lord simply asked him to look at the phylactery on his own wrist and find the response to question; the answer was right there! In other words, the lawyer knew the way to possess eternal life, all that he needed to add was to practise what he knew. Do this, and you will live!
The second response of the lawyer was as a result of his own question of justification, “And who is my neighbour?” (cf. Lk. 10:29) that warranted the parable and the subsequent question of the Lord Jesus, which challenged him for the second time to live according to his own response and live. This interesting question of the lawyer, “who is my neighbour?” is the pivot of today’s Gospel reading. Let us now analyze this captivating parable that answered the lawyer’s question.
The Jews restrictedly used the word “neighbour” to refer to their fellow Jews. In fact, their usage was so myopic to the extent that some held that it was even unlawful to assist a gentile woman during her childbirth, because to do that is to bring into the world another gentile; an unclean creature! Consequently, the lawyer’s stance aligned with the prevailing beliefs of his community. Why did the priest refuse to assist the wounded traveller? He knew that he would have rendered himself ritually unclean for seven days (cf. Num. 19:11). This would have prevented him from playing his religious role in the Temple, which was rotated among the many priests at the time. His choice to prioritise ceremonial recognition over charity is evident: “When he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.” (NJB, Lk. 10:31b). For him, temple service precedes the alleviation of human suffering. What about the reaction of the Levite towards the plight of the wounded traveller? He appeared to have approached the scene but remained unperturbed (cf. Lk. 10:32). What was his reason? He likely did that because he was afraid of being attacked by the robbers, who were known to use one of their own who usually pretended to be injured as a ploy to harm others. Thus, the Levite probably acted on the principle of safety first!
Whatever be the case, he did nothing to assist the man who was in need of care. Remember, the priest and the Levite were all connected to the Temple worship! This is how Pope Francis interpreted the actions of the religious men: “The priest and the Levite see but ignore; they look but they do not offer to help. Yet, there is no true worship if it is not translated into service to neighbour. What does it mean to ignore the suffering of man? It means to ignore God!” (General audience, April 27, 2016).
What about the Samaritan who offered to help the wounded traveller? He was by origin someone whom the Jews despised and perceived as irreligious and unclean. In fact, they once referred to the Lord Jesus as a Samaritan because of His unlimited love for all people, could you imagine this? (cf. Jn. 8:48). Yet, it was the Samaritan who was ready to save life: “He was moved with compassion” (cf. Lk. 10:33). He was deemed as unclean and a heretic for that matter by the so-called religious men, but he loved God in the heart. The priest and the Levite were interested in religious ceremonies and fulfilment of religious role but not in helping others who are in need. In the final analysis, the Samaritan will be judged not based on the liturgical rubrics he crammed but by the life he lived. After all, who is the hero in the parable? Whose life did the Lord Jesus recommend to the lawyer to imitate?
What is the lesson of this wonderful parable? We have to be ready and willing to help others even when they are not familiar to us; even if like the wounded man they did not exercise discretion in the path they chose. Our neighbour is any human person in need! It is good to pray for others when they are wounded by the events of life, but it is equally important to offer them practical support.
In sum, we are invited by today’s Gospel to follow the virtuous deeds of the Samaritan, who is the figure of the Lord Jesus if we honestly desire to possess eternal life. We cannot be indifferent to the suffering and pain of others and think that we are serving God. Those who unconditionally assist others and pay their bills are on the right track. Let us do this, and we will live! May the Lord give you His peace!
