Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s gospel reading raises some very important questions. And it gives us some very important answers. The questions are human and the answers are divine. Here are the questions: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” and “Who is my neighbor?” The answers are given by Jesus himself. These questions and their answers are the topic of my homily.
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
The question was asked by a scholar of the law. Scholars of the law were not only experts in Mosaic laws but also interpreted the law for the people. Aware of his expertise, Jesus asked him, “What is written in the law? How do you read/interpret it?” He said: "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” (Lk 10:27). The scholar’s answer was not only correct but even his creative interpretation won Jesus’ praise.
Interestingly, this very answer is found in In Matthew (22:37) and Mark (12:30) and it was given for a very different question. The question was, “Which is the greatest Commandment?” In these passages, it was Jesus who gave the answer, as he combined the love of God and love of neighbor into one commandment. In Luke, the same answer is given for the question, “What should I do to inherit eternal life?”
Whether it is Jesus’ answer or the lawyer’s answer, Mosaic Law does have the two commandments clubbed together. The first part is the Schema Israel. It says, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might” and it is found in Deut 6:4-6. The second part is “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” is found in Lev 19:18. The lawyer collapses two commandments into one. On the one hand, the creativity of the lawyer is to be admired. On the other hand, Jesus approving his answer tells us how the Gospel of Jesus Christ goes beyond Mosaic Law. The answer to the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” is love of God AND love of neighbor. But this raises the question, “Who is my neighbor?”
“Who is my neighbor?”
Mosaic Law did not have a passage that defined a neighbor. But it was clear that the neighbor was more than the one who lived next door. In a broad sense, it included all Israliets. The non-Israelites were called aliens and the law said in regards to them: “When an alien resides with you in your land, do not mistreat such a one. You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; you shall love the alien as yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt” (Lev 19:33-34).
Jesus answer to the Lawyers question was a parable – the parable of the Good Samaritan. Here Jesus went beyond the expertise of the scholar of the law. The fact that Jesus makes a Samaritan the hero of the story while showing the Jewish religious leaders in negative light was not some a faux pas. Jesus was defining what the law did not define. Jesus was giving a definition of a neighbor that even included the enemy.
The Jews viewed the Samaritans as a "mongrel race" due to the intermingling of Israelites with foreign populations after the Assyrian conquest in 722 BC. This perception of impurity fueled animosity. The geographical proximity of Samaria, situated between Galilee and Judea, often forced Jews to travel through Samaritan territory. However, the deep-seated hatred led many Jews to take longer, alternative routes to avoid contact with Samaritans. In essence, the Samaritans were seen by the Jews as a corrupted offshoot of their religion and gave rise to centuries of mutual hostility and separation.
Jesus used a Samaritan as the hero of his parable to challenge the prevailing social and religious prejudices of his time. In the parable, the priest and the Levite – religious leaders who should have known better – both avoided helping the injured man. This would have been shocking to Jesus' audience, who likely held these figures in high regard. By making a Samaritan – a group considered an enemy by the Jews – the example of true neighborly love, Jesus highlighted that compassion and mercy should extend to all, regardless of their background or social standing.
The parable of the Good Samaritan, then, answers the question "who is my neighbor?" by demonstrating that a neighbor is anyone in need, regardless of their background. Jesus emphasizes that true love and compassion are not limited by social, national, or religious boundaries.
“Go and Do Likewise”
Besides the questions, “What should I do to inherit eternal life?” and “Who is my neighbor?” there was a third question. This time, it is Jesus who posed the question. He asked, “Which of these three (priest, Levite, or Samaritan), in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?" (Lk 10:36). When the lawyer said, “The one who treated him with mercy,” Jesus said, “Go and do likewise” (Lk 10:37).
I would like to offer the practical implications for today. First, Catholic theology sees Christ himself as the Samaritan who comes to heal and save those who are bruised and wounded. Humanity treated the Divine Good Samaritan like an enemy, but the Samaritan picked us up, bandaged our wounds, and giving his own life, saw us safe into our eternal home. We are the victims who have been saved by the Divine Samaritan.
Second, eternal life is not inherited by merely loving God with all our heart, being, strength, and mind. The love of neighbor placed alongside the love of God tells us that the love of neighbor is equally necessary to inherit eternal life. Ignoring neighbors in need like the priest or the Levite jeopardizes our eternal salvation.
Third, after narrating the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus encouraged the lawyer to “Go and do likewise” (Lk 10:37). What does the do likewise mean? It means that we act like Jesus, the Divine Samaritan. It means that each of us acts like the Samaritan who extended mercy and compassion to all, even those who might consider us enemies. We are surrounded by victims of violence, oppression, exploitation, in our neighborhoods, nation, and the world. Our God and our faith call for mercy and compassion; they call us to “go and do likewise.”
In this context, I like to draw attention to Catholic Church’s teaching on the very contentious issue of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. The Church’s doctrine is based on both the Old and New Testaments. The Catholic Church teaches that nations have the right to regulate their borders and manage immigration flows for the common good. At that same time, the Church emphasizes the inherent dignity of every human person, including migrants and refugees, and calls for a welcoming and just approach to migration. It recognizes the right to migrate, especially when driven by necessity, and calls for nations to offer hospitality and protection to those seeking refuge. More prosperous nations have a responsibility to welcome those seeking refuge and a better life, especially those fleeing persecution or poverty. As Catholics inspired by the life and example of Jesus, we have a moral obligation to recognize outsiders as our neighbors and to treat them with dignity, mercy, compassion. For to inherit eternal life,"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."
- Fr. Satish Joseph