Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

Luke 10:25-37 

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Reflections

The first step of faith is to listen; however, true faith lies in practice. God's will is to grant us abundant life; His word is life, and Jesus Christ is the Word of God. He gave us Jesus as the perfect example for us to follow. Making the right choices may not be easy, but if we let God's word guide our lives and make Him our life's goal, He will grant us wisdom to help us “choose life”.

In the Gospel, a scholar of the law “tested” Jesus and asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Implicitly, he was asking, “To whom do I need to ‘love my neighbor as myself’? And to whom do I not need to?” Jesus then told him a story: A poor man was beaten by robbers, stripped of everything, and left half-dead on the road. A priest and a Levite passed by; although they knew the requirements of the law and had the responsibility to care for the poor and oppressed, they chose to ignore that man's plight. Fortunately, this poor man was helped by a Samaritan—a person despised by the Jews. He did not ask, “Who is that man, and is he worth helping?” Instead, he was moved with compassion and helped him unconditionally. He poured wine and oil on the man's wounds, as they have the effect of disinfecting and aiding healing. He bandaged him up, took him to a nearby inn, and instructed the innkeeper to take care of him, even paying two silver coins in advance, enough for the injured man to stay at the inn for about two months.

Jesus turned the question back to the scholar of the law: "Who was the neighbor to the robbers’ victim?" It turns out that those who have love and take action are his neighbors; those without love and action are not. Therefore, at the end of the dialogue, Jesus reminded him once again: “Go and do likewise!” True faith is not measured by how much scripture we know, but by whether we take concrete action to love God and love our neighbor. Jesus, through the Samaritan in the story, encouraged us, stating that lineage, race, skin color, and nationality are not the boundaries for “loving your neighbor as yourself.” In His eyes, love can transcend the hatred between races; even a Gentile, despised by the Jews, can demonstrate the love that God approves. What God emphasizes is never lineage, but love and action that come from the heart. Our “neighbor” should not only be the brothers and sisters within the church but should include anyone we encounter in need. Listening to God's word, if not practiced, is merely empty knowledge; only actions transformed into love can become a channel of salvation.

Practice

Let us with a grateful heart, praise the greatness of God. Open our ears to listen to His words; and even more, open our hands to practice His commandments. Loving God must include love and care for others; and loving others is the most genuine way we respond to God. Jesus lets us know that a truly faithful person is one who understands how to put God's word into practice. Just as He did not tell the scholar of the Law to do something great, but rather helped him understand that he should help those he can see and encounter. Even a small act of love, within reach, has eternal value. May we all become charitable Samaritans, becoming instruments of God's mercy in a broken world.

Today’s Bible verses

“It is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.” (Deuteronomy 30:14)