Luke 10:25-37

Jonah 1:1-2:1-2, 11

Jonah 2:3, 4, 5, 8

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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are the perfection of mercy, and I need to imitate your merciful love. Help me to see the needs of my brothers and sisters and to be generous with my time, talent, and treasure.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Who is My Neighbor? The Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us that love of neighbor must accompany our love for God. The Parable also reveals that the holiness of the Old Covenant needed to be brought to fulfillment and surpassed in the holiness of the New Covenant by Jesus Christ. The priest and the Levite exemplify the holiness of the Old Covenant and the Law of Moses. This law forbade them from coming into contact with a corpse. If they did, they would be prevented from offering sacrifice or ministering in the Temple for at least a week. In the New Covenant, it is made clear that mercy is more important than external ritual purity. The Old Testament prohibition is seen in the New Covenant as a symbol of avoiding contact with what is deadly. It is a symbol of the need to avoid sin and impurity that leads to death. The Old Covenant symbol is brought to fulfillment in the New Covenant. Empowered by God’s grace, we can avoid sinful acts and perform merciful and meritorious works of charity.

2. Almsgiving and Mercy: Giving alms and works of mercy are a key part of how we love our neighbors in need. In the ancient Jewish world, when someone gave a gift or alms, it was expected that the one who received the gift would reciprocate it in some way. Some have argued that ancient Judaism understood the gift of divine grace through a system of reciprocity, where God’s initial unmerited favor placed the recipient under an obligation to respond with loyalty and obedience. A gift would often cement an existing relationship and was given in expectation of some kind of return. This notion of reciprocity is at work in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. On the one hand, the Samaritan becomes a “neighbor” by acting mercifully toward the injured man. In our case, Jesus acts as the Good Samaritan by caring for us, the injured man, and entrusting us to the inn of the Church. We are obligated to reciprocate the gift we have received from Jesus. On the other hand, the innkeeper is invited to treat the Samaritan as a neighbor and not as a foreigner. This means that the Church should welcome people of all nations and care for them until Jesus’ glorious return. We are called to reciprocate the gift we have received from God, and a key way we do this is by loving our neighbor through almsgiving and corporal works of mercy.

3. Jonah, the Reluctant Prophet: Like the Gospel, which alludes to the separation between the Jews and Samaritans, the story of Jonah also alludes to a separation, the separation between the Israelites and the Gentiles. Jonah was an Israelite called by God to preach to the Gentile Ninevites, to those who dwelt in the capital city of Assyria, which, at the time, was Israel’s sworn enemy. The last thing that Jonah wanted to do was help his enemies repent and be spared from God’s just punishment. That is why Jonah fled to the sea, got in a boat, and set sail to Tarshish (Spain). He was trying to get as far away from Nineveh as possible. The story of Jonah shows how God is persistent in his call and how the reluctant prophet converts the Gentiles despite his efforts not to. The Gentiles in the boat call out to the Lord God of Jonah and are saved. We will see the same thing happen in Nineveh. The people will call out to the Lord God of Jonah in repentant prayer and be saved from destruction.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the Good Samaritan. You came to your own people and were rejected by them. This did not deter you. You offered your life, gave without reserve, and died on the Cross for us. Bring me to share in your passion and suffering so that I may give myself in love to those in need.

Living the Word of God: From the Gospel of Luke, we are reminded that love is the way that leads to life. We are called to love not just our friends or relatives or countrymen but all men and women. When we fall, we can always trust in the mercy of God, communicated to us through the Sacraments. From the Book of Jonah, we are reminded of our individual call. God has a mission for us and, even though we might be reluctant to do it, God will not give up on us.