The drama of our time: The split between the Gospel and culture
Listening to the Spirit
God of love, give us a deep love for you,
so that we can see the world as you see it,
feel the compassion you feel,
and be a people whose lives mediate your love to others.
So open our eyes that we might see what the Good Samaritan saw.
Grant us the insight to see the need in others,
the wisdom to know what to do, and the will to do it.
And so we pray for all those, who in many and various ways,
have been stripped, beaten and left for dead.
We pray for children who must grow up
in the most awful of circumstances,
especially for those starved of love, or food, or shelter or security.
May they receive the future you have planned for them.
We pray for those we might cross the road to avoid.
Who have been excluded socially because of their race,
their financial status, or their history.
May the dignity that is theirs be restored to them.
We pray for those whose need we would rather not face up to,
because it requires action of us,
those who suffer atrocities because of war, unjust trade rules,
or oppressive governments.
May the world receive a true picture of their suffering
and the factors that cause it, that justice may be done.
Open our eyes, that we might not cross the road from human need.
Give us a deep love for you,
that we might see your love at work in this world,
and that we might Go and do likewise.
(From Faith and Unity Department of the Baptist Union of Great Britain)
Listening to the Word
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii,[b] gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Reflection
What comes immediately before the parable of the good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37) is a beatitude Jesus addressed to the disciples: “Turning to the disciples in private he said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it." (Lk. 10:23-24). Luke insists on the verb-action “to see” but also on the verb-action “to listen” as fundamental steps that make possible the gift of salvation not only for us but for every person.
What comes immediately after the parable is the reception of Jesus in the house of Martha and Mary, where Mary was listening to the Lord's word, seated at His feet (Lk. 10:39) and Martha was burdened with much serving (Lk. 10:40). This part of the Gospel will be proclaimed on the 16th Sunday of the Ordinary Time (July 21).
With the concrete actions and decisions of the good Samaritan and the hospitality of Mary (listening) and Martha, Luke defines the life and identity of a true disciple of Jesus. To the fundamental question raised by a doctor of the Law about how to inherit eternal life, Jesus answers that two things are necessary: 1) to love the Lord and to love our neighbor and 2) to listen to the Word of God to nurture this love.
The good Samaritan “saw the man who fell into the robbers' hands and “was moved with compassion” (Lk. 10:33). He was able “to see” to the point that he felt totally involved with a profound compassion in the life of the wounded. “To see” - for the Samaritan - embraced the capacity to stop, to listen, to be attentive and connected to reality, to approach the person and to embrace- take care of him in his totality. His concern for him is very delicate and “to the end”: “on my way back, I shall repay you…”. A person when in need or pain comes always before any other Law.
What is my response as a person, as a member of the Christian community, or as a member of my family to the daily “bodies” of humanity (weaknesses) that lie wounded and waylaid in many forms on the road of my life?
"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see” and are “moved with compassion”. Compassion always urges us to move out of ourselves. Compassion makes us not only “feel” for but “feel with” those who suffer. “To feel compassion” is to suffer with the wounded and the suffering, to share their pain and agony. “To be moved with compassion” never leaves us indifferent or insensitive to the pain of the person who fell into the robbers' hands but calls for solidarity with the suffering. Compassion is a firm and persevering determination to commit ourselves to the good of the person.
This is how Jesus, the Good Samaritan, sees and feels compassion with our “wounds”. This is how Jesus listens to the voice of His and our Father, and to the voice of our brothers and sisters (with all his heart, with all his being, with all his strength, and with all his mind).
Saint Paul VI in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, 1975, no. 20 wrote that "The split between the Gospel and culture is without doubt the drama of our time, just as it was of other times."
Reflection Questions
Gospel Reflections
Allowing Jesus to Change Us
Who Is Jesus for Me? From Encounter to Mission
