Your Neighbor is Here, There, and Everywhere

This posting examines the parable of the Good Samaritan which is found in St Luke 10: 25 -37.  It begins with a dialogue between Jesus and an expert in the Mosaic Law.

The lawyer tests Jesus:  “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus in reply (also testing him):  “What is written in the law?  How do you read it?”

The lawyer gives his reply:  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus:  “You have answered correctly.  Do this and you shall live.”

The lawyer, wishing to justify himself, asks, “And who is my neighbor?”

We now move to a brief summary of the parable.  As we all know, those who occupy a similar religious office as the lawyer, are cast as the villains because they ignore and pass by the injured man in need of rescue.  Then Jesus gives a twist to the plot;  the hero is an unexpected and despised — in the mind of the lawyer — Samaritan who stops to help to the man.

The despised Samaritan exhibits compassion:  He binds his wounds, and also medicates the wounds with oil and wine.  He then takes him to an inn for further care, and extends the care of the injured man with his own money to compensate the innkeeper.

The epistle reading that accompanies the Gospel reading from St Luke comes from Galatians 1: 11 – 19.  The subject is St Paul’s calling to be an Apostle.  From Galatians 1: 15 – 16 we read this:  “But he who set me apart from my mother’s womb, and had called me through his grace, revealed his Son to me that I might preach the Good News of him to the Gentiles.”  He was set apart, and called to be an Apostle and given a defining ministry that continues for us to this day.

Though we are not called to be an Apostle as he, the 12, and the 70 were called, we have a calling!  In his first epistle, St Peter writes,

But as he who called you is holy; be holy yourselves in all your conduct; since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy (1 Peter 1: 15 – 16).

St Paul informs us of our ministry that results from our baptism — a ministry of works of faith.  Regarding works that arise from faith in Christ, St Paul informs us of this in Philippians 2: 12b – 13:  

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

He writes this as well in his letter to the Ephesians:

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of your own doing, it is the gift of God — not because of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk [peripataesomen] in them (Ephesians 2: 8 – 10). 

When St Paul uses the word walk it is to be understood that it refers to how a Christian is to be conducting his / her life, and how we are to conform our thoughts and actions to match and imitate Christ.  Essentially, as the lawyer correctly notes, “We are to love our neighbors as ourselves.”

I pose a question:  Where do we find our neighbor?  As Sir Paul might answer, they are here, there, and everywhere.  The walking wounded are all around us — here, there, and everywhere.

What are our bandages, oils, and wines?  Before I offer my attempt to answer this question, let me put forward this admonition from St Paul, “Now, I urge you brethren, to warn the idle…” (1 Thessalonians 5: 14).  With this, let the focus be on spiritual idleness.  There is a saying:  “Comfort the afflicted; afflict the comfortable.  Also, there are times we need to be lovingly disturbed in a way to move us more deeply into the ways of Christ.  However, we are to cause no one and no thing distress by acting or speaking out of anger, irritation, or annoyance.  Rather, you and I are to seek to relieve the distress of others, and all things, by living according to the Beatitudes:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, because the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.  Blessed are those who are mourning, because they will be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, Because they will inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who are hungering and thirsting for righteousness, because they will be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, Because they will receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called the sons of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, because theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.  Blessed are you when men insult you, persecute you and speak evil of you falsely for my sake.  Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who came before you (St Matthew 5: 3 – 12).

The Beatitudes — they are not given by Christ to be spiritual ideals — they are to be embodied.  They are to be worked into our lives by living them.  As per one of my favorite axioms:  We must do to become.

I return to my question posed above.  What are our bandages and medicines?  The are love, kindness, prayer, mercy, humility, giving assistance (among many other treatment options).  Yes, even smiling can provide a soothing balm.

Do this, and we shall live!

In Christ,

Fr Irenaeus