Luke 10:25-37
I have mentioned before the value I place on using the Lord's Prayer as a meditation. By spending time on each word, this kind of meditation can take some time. It could take weeks if you really wanted to think about, research and pray on each word. Today's passage seems to focus on the word neighbor. Who is our neighbor, just as who is the "Our" in the Our Father.
I am guessing it is never an easy choice no matter who you are, it almost always involves expanding your horizons, loving someone or some group that are at odds with what we think.
For me that might be trying to understand and love the right wingnuts of American politics. For them it might very well be me, an out, proud, gay married man - and a Christian too! It's never easy.
What isn't easy is the part about loving and understanding. Jesus is not speaking of merely tolerating others whom we might view as social outcasts or at odds with our opinions. Jesus wants us to love as in the verb "to love". We are called to action. We are not allowed to justify our position as the Priest or the Levite did. To the Samaritan, it apparently did not matter what political persuasion the victim was. It didn't matter who he was in life at all. What mattered was that he was a fellow human, a brother, part of "our" and a "neighbor" who was in need. Empathy, love, compassion and action.
If you recall my blog entry called "a Dear Slave" ( Sept. 27, 2012 ), you know that it was a Centurion that asks Jesus for help to cure his "slave". Look at the direct conflicts inherent in this. Officer of an occupying army. Itinerant Jewish preacher of the occupied. Jesus might have every reason to deny this man anything, even the time of day. Jesus' love though cannot be contained and we have a cure and another miracle. Not unlike the Samaritan helping the victim only kicked up a few notches.
We are called to empathise, try, really try to understand others, not merely tolerate, to have compassion and to put our love into action as Jesus did and as the Samaritan did.
I have mentioned before the value I place on using the Lord's Prayer as a meditation. By spending time on each word, this kind of meditation can take some time. It could take weeks if you really wanted to think about, research and pray on each word. Today's passage seems to focus on the word neighbor. Who is our neighbor, just as who is the "Our" in the Our Father.
I am guessing it is never an easy choice no matter who you are, it almost always involves expanding your horizons, loving someone or some group that are at odds with what we think.
For me that might be trying to understand and love the right wingnuts of American politics. For them it might very well be me, an out, proud, gay married man - and a Christian too! It's never easy.
What isn't easy is the part about loving and understanding. Jesus is not speaking of merely tolerating others whom we might view as social outcasts or at odds with our opinions. Jesus wants us to love as in the verb "to love". We are called to action. We are not allowed to justify our position as the Priest or the Levite did. To the Samaritan, it apparently did not matter what political persuasion the victim was. It didn't matter who he was in life at all. What mattered was that he was a fellow human, a brother, part of "our" and a "neighbor" who was in need. Empathy, love, compassion and action.
If you recall my blog entry called "a Dear Slave" ( Sept. 27, 2012 ), you know that it was a Centurion that asks Jesus for help to cure his "slave". Look at the direct conflicts inherent in this. Officer of an occupying army. Itinerant Jewish preacher of the occupied. Jesus might have every reason to deny this man anything, even the time of day. Jesus' love though cannot be contained and we have a cure and another miracle. Not unlike the Samaritan helping the victim only kicked up a few notches.
We are called to empathise, try, really try to understand others, not merely tolerate, to have compassion and to put our love into action as Jesus did and as the Samaritan did.
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 neighbour 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 neighbour?’ 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 travelling 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 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 neighbour 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.’
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