<\/div>\n
Jesus often has a way of not answering the question he is asked.<\/p>\n
Instead of answering, he asks a question in return. \u00a0Instead of answering, he likes to tell a story. \u00a0Instead of answering, he begins to speak of something much more profound that he renders the one asking the question silent.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s Gospel passage is no exception.<\/p>\n
Saint Luke tells of a scholar of the law, a faithful Jewish Pharisee, who comes to Jesus to test him: \u201cWhat must I do to inherit eternal life?\u201d \u00a0Jesus does not answer the question, but rather asks the Pharisee a question, \u201cWhat is written in the law?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jesus turns the tables on him. \u00a0The Pharisee had tried to test Jesus to see if he was correct, but now it is Jesus who says to the Pharisee, \u201cYou have answered correctly.\u201d \u00a0Jesus smoothly goes from being the one tested by the Pharisee to being the one testing the Pharisee.<\/p>\n
The Pharisee must have already been a little upset at this, so he asks, \u201cwho is my neighbor?\u201d (since the law says to love your neighbor as yourself).<\/p>\n
Again, Jesus does not answer the question, but this time he tells a story. \u00a0We have heard this story so many times, the Parable of the Good Samaritan. \u00a0A priest goes by a dying man on the side of the road and keeps going. \u00a0Then another priest walks past the same dying man and does nothing. \u00a0I\u2019m sure the Pharisee was not liking the story.<\/p>\n
Then comes the hero, a Samaritan, who cares for the dying man and pays for his care. \u00a0All Jews, including our friend the Pharisee speaking to Jesus, absolutely hated the Samaritans. \u00a0Samaritans were descendants of Jews who had intermarried with Assyrians seven centuries before Christ. \u00a0Both Jews and Samaritans forbade any contact with the other, even visiting the other territory was condemned.<\/p>\n
When he concludes his story, Jesus now asks a question, \u201cWhich of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers\u2019 victim?\u201d \u00a0The Pharisee must have been so furious he could not even answer \u201cthe Samaritan.\u201d \u00a0He simply says, \u201cThe one who treated him with mercy.\u201d \u00a0Insulting him even more, Jesus says, \u201cGo and do likewise.\u201d \u00a0Jesus tells a Pharisee to go be like a Samaritan. \u00a0What an insult. <\/p>\n
This parable is not so much about the Samaritan being a good man. \u00a0This parable is not so much about the importance of helping out the needy. <\/p>\n
Place this parable in the context of the Gospel and the parable is about Jesus teaching us to find God\u2019s presence in those we dislike the most. \u00a0In the most despicable, repulsive and unattractive.<\/p>\n
Jesus is telling the Pharisee to love Samaritans, those he hates the most. \u00a0As the Samaritan loved the dying man, so too the Pharisee must love the Samaritan. \u00a0The Parable is an invitation to the teacher of the law to open up his heart and to love.<\/p>\n
Who is Jesus inviting you to love today?<\/p>\n
Who has hurt you? \u00a0Who do you find repulsive? \u00a0Who upsets you? Even he, even she, is worthy of God\u2019s love.<\/p>\n
Replace the Samaritan in the Parable with that person or group of people you dislike. \u00a0Replace the priests who walked by doing nothing with yourself. \u00a0That is what Jesus did for the Pharisee and Jesus made him uncomfortable. \u00a0That is what Jesus wants to do in our hearts, and it will make us uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
Jesus calls us to love our neighbor by recognizing God\u2019s presence in every person. \u00a0We are to recognize every person as part of God\u2019s precious creation and made in His own image and likeness regardless of race, ability, gender, language, sexual orientation, legal status etc. <\/p>\n
Yet this doesn\u2019t come easy to us \u2013 we need help.<\/p>\n
God\u2019s grace allows us to see His presence in another human being and to treat him or her accordingly. <\/p>\n
How about when a person commits a terrible crime? \u00a0What if a person\u2019s life choices do not correspond with mine? \u00a0Or they are simply too selfish and conceited, making it difficult to love them? <\/p>\n
These people, despite their sins, are part of God\u2019s creation and are worthy of love and respect. \u00a0Recognition of this reality requires supernatural grace.<\/p>\n
This is the Christian vision of humanity. And this should also be our own.<\/p>\n
As Jesus reminds us of his great undeserved love for us as he surrenders himself at this altar, let\u2019s ask him to help us embrace our neighbor and to love him. \u00a0May we have a change of heart after hearing this powerful parable.<\/p>\n
Homily 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Jesus often has a way of not answering the question he is asked. Instead of answering, he asks a question in return. \u00a0Instead of answering, he likes to tell a story. \u00a0Instead of answering, he begins to speak of something much more profound that he renders the one asking the question silent. Today\u2019s Gospel passage […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2533,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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