Reflection for July 13 Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Luke 10:25-37

Gospel: Luke 10:25-37

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" He said in reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." He replied to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live." 

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. 

But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him. 

The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, 'Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.' Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?" He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." 

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Reflection:

How can we best share the love, compassion, and mercy of Jesus? 

It is when we go out of our way to help someone in need. It is when we choose to forgive those who have wronged us. It is when we take a step of faith to show the world that God is alive and living within us. 

In our Gospel this Sunday, the Samaritan, did the unexpected. He helped a man who had been robbed and left near death. He could have simply walked by, just as the priest and the Levite did, ignoring the man in his suffering. 

But the Samaritan did not walk away. He stopped, cared for the man, and brought him to a place where he could recover and regain his strength. The Samaritan showed mercy, love, and compassion to someone who had been brutally victimized. 

Who is this Samaritan who mirrored the qualities and character of Jesus? We do not know his name. But perhaps it is safe to say that he was a true follower of the Lord—not a follower in name only, but a follower in words and in deeds. 

If we call ourselves followers of Jesus, the story of the Good Samaritan should also be our story. We, too, are called to be merciful, loving, and compassionate—even to those whom we think no longer deserve our mercy, love, and compassion. 

Otherwise, we are no different from the priest and the Levite, who were servants in the temple of God but were servants in name only. – Marino J. Dasmarinas