The readings for the 15th Sunday in ordinary time invite us to reflect deeply on the power of God’s word, the importance of compassion, and our shared responsibility to love one another with sincerity and selflessness. In the first reading from Deuteronomy Moses speaks to the people, assuring them that God’s commandments are not distant or unattainable. They are “very near to you” echoing the idea that the path to life and blessing is accessible to all of us. The challenge however, lies in our response choosing to embrace the life God offers. The psalmist expresses a longing for salvation and deliverance, reminding us that in our struggles, we must reach out to God. We are called to recognize our dependency on Him and seek His help in our time of need. This reinforces the message from Deuteronomy: God is close, ready to guide us through our storms. In the second reading, Paul speaks of Christ as the image of the invisible God, through whom all things were created. This passage emphasizes the profound connection we share with Christ; He is central to our lives and to creation itself. Our understanding of love and compassion must flow from our relationship with Him, who demonstrated ultimate love through His sacrifice.
Gospel of Luke chapter 10 occurs as Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51- 19:27), a theological Journey that shapes the entire middle portion of the Gospel. This section of Luke often contains unique material (parables and teachings), such as the Good Samaritan, not found in Mathew and Mark. In the Gospel of today we have a teacher of the Law, a scholar of the mosaic law, likely a Pharisee or scribe. He was eager to know Jesus’ opinion on something that worried him. His question reflects a typical rabbinic approach-testing knowledge and understanding of the Torah. The Jewish religious teachers had kept on adding command upon command to the ten commandments of mosses and insisted that no one could be saved unless he observed them all. This teacher was an upright person, and eager to find out the truth, he asked Jesus: “Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life? (Luke 10:25). Mathew and Mark put the question in another way: “what is the greatest commandment of the Law?” Mathew 22:35, Mark 12:28. Jesus responds in typical rabbinic fashion: answering with a question. The summary of the law is correct and central to both Judaism and Jesus’ own teaching. Eternal life is tied to a love of God and neighbor. The Jewish teachers of the time had come to the conclusion that the command of loving one’s own neighbor extended only to fellow Jews. Jesus flips the question: the issue is not “who is my neighbor?” but “how can I be a neighbor?”. The Jews had the people of the religion called Samaria; the Samaritans were the descendants of a mixture of Jews and pagan; they accepted only the five books of Mosses, the so-called Torah, as revealed by God. They refused to worship at the temple of Jerusalem, and did so instead at another temple on mount Garizin, close to their main town. The Jews considered them heretics. The grossest insult a Jew could throw at another was to call him “Samaritan”. On an occasion, the religious leaders of the Jewish insulted Jesus that way: “are we not right saying that you are a Samaritan and possessed by a devil” (john 8: 48). Needless to say, the Samaritans repaid in kind the hatred the Jews felt for them. It was dangerous for Jews to pass through Samaritan country unless they did it in groups. It was against this background that the parable of the good Samaritan must be read if we want to understand it well. Let us go through its details.
The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was real and dangerous, a 27 km descent through Rocken terrain known for bandits. Many years after Jesus had explained the parable, the road is still called “the red road”, on account of the blood that had been shed along it in countless murders. A man (anonymous, universal) is attacked. His identity is unknown, he could be anyone. A priest happened to be traveling down the same road. Both the priest and Levite were probably going back to their home in Jericho after a week’s duty in the temple of Jerusalem. The priest and Levite represent religious orthodoxy, but they fail to show mercy, perhaps to avoid ritual impurity (numbers 19: 11), but a Samaritan traveler who came up on him was moved with compassion. He risks his safety, uses his resources, and personally ensures ongoing care. The Samaritan performs a seven-fold act of mercy: sees, is moved with pity, approaches, binds wounds, anointing with oil and wine, lifts him, takes him to an inn, and pays for care. Jesus asks, “which of these three was a neighbor to the man?” reversing the question form object to subject. The lawyer can’t even say “Samaritan” he says: “the one who showed him mercy”. Jesus commands: “go and do likewise”. This becomes the model for Christian ethical action, perhaps we shall come in contact with people wounded in body or in spirit who need our compassion. We must offer it generously without counting the price.