Monday of 27th week , even numbered year
"A Doctor of the Law stood up, and to test him said ’Mater, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him ’What is written in the Law? What is your reading of it?
He replied’ You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with ll your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.“Jesus answered ’You have answered right; do this and life is yours.”
Jesus often encounters amongst his opponents people who want to progress. ’Master, what must I do to have eternal life?’
It is a lovely question for Jesus, and this person has in him the desire to progress. He enters into dialogue with him and is going to put into place the intelligence and the will of this doctor of the law out of a practical situation.
Jesus will recount a parable to him talking about how to progress towards God! He will expect a true response from this man. He recognises his capacity of responding to a knowledge and he comforts him in his capacity to act : ’You have answered well, now go and do the same thing.’
Jesus offers him a parable of a blessing, he comforts him, then sends him off with the capacity to move ahead, to cope with the unexpected : ’you will have life.’
Life is in the relationship, in the encounter with another, in a true ’I’, encountering a true ’you’.
This doctor of the Law came to put Jesus to the test, now Jesus is going to transform the relationship of the one who wanted to catch him out by bringing gentleness and tenderness.
“But wanting to justify himself he asked ’Who is my neighbour.”
Jesus gave this answer : ’A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of bandits; they stripped him, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead.
Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw he man, he passed by on the other side.
In the same way, a Levite who came there saw him, and passed by on the other side.
But a Samaritan traveller who came on him was moved with compassion when he saw him.He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, He then lifted him onto his own mount and took him to an inn and looked after him. On the next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper and said, ’ Look after him, on my way back I will make good any extra expense he will you have."
Just as God is ’moved in his innermost being’ the Samaritan was ’moved’. He brought relief to the one who was wounded, brought to him first aid gestures that saved him, and drew him up onto his own mount.
This Samaritan leaves the inn keeper to continue to care for him and he will pay for everything.
This is what love means : to save, to know how to stop when someone is hurting, find gestures and words that save.
The first moment puts into place the rest of the way forward. This parable is the announcement of Jesus who saves us with his crucified body. He came into the place of mankind’s misery, cared for our wounds, had us rest on his own mount, gave us the shelter of his Mercy.
“Which of these three do you think proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the bandits’ hands? He replied ’The one who showed pity towards him.’ Jesus said to him, ’Go, and do the same yourself.”
This story is very moving and we wish to imitate God. As we follow him, it is up to us to pay of ourselves. We are temped to run away turn our eyes away and pass o to something else, to lose patience and forget that the wounded man can do nothing without us.
He can do nothing since everything has been stolen from him.
He cannot help himself because he is half dead.
He can put nothing into place since he already has such a hard time following.
The road going down from Jerusalem to Jericho passes in front of our own home. It is the road of our work-place, our responsibilities, our solidarities. We open our eyes and ask Jesus to keep them open. We contemplate Jesus in his answer he sees this man. Taken up with pity, he draws near to him, will let himself be touched, have his wounds cared for. As if this wasn’t enough, he takes him on his back and take him to an inn.
Jesus comes to save humanity that is half dead, taking care of it for it is wounded.
If we are to adopt te same attitude we have to enter into Jesus’ tenderness. Following Him, the Church is the place where God takes care of His wounded humanity. Having heard this story about the hurt man, the doctor of the law will make some progress. Jesus ahs enlightened his request concerning etrnal life.