Gospel: Luke 10:25-37
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.”
Then
the scholar of the law asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” To drive home His
teaching about what it means to be a good neighbor, Jesus told him a story
about a man who was left dying by the roadside.
The
first person who passed by the dying man was a priest. As a priest, he was
expected to embody the teaching of love for God and neighbor. But although he
served God, he failed to show love to his neighbor because he did nothing to
help the dying man. The next person who passed by was a Levite, a servant in
the temple of God. Unfortunately, he, too, failed to put his faith into action
because he ignored the dying man.
Then
came a Samaritan who did not serve in the temple of God. Yet, when he saw the
wounded man, his heart was moved with compassion. He did not simply look at him
and continue on his way. He stopped. He came closer. He cleaned the man's
wounds, brought him to an inn, took care of him, and made sure that he would
fully recover.
Among
the three, it was the Good Samaritan who gained favor in the eyes of Jesus
because he showed mercy to the dying man. What a powerful lesson for all of us!
The priest and the Levite had religious roles and served in the temple, yet
their faith did not move them to respond to someone who was suffering. The
Samaritan, on the other hand, allowed compassion to move him from simply seeing
suffering to doing something about it.
This
challenges us to look honestly into our own hearts. Are we not also sometimes
lacking in the exercise of our faith? Do we not sometimes see people who are
hurting, struggling, lonely, poor, or in need, yet choose to pass them by? Perhaps
we see their pain but convince ourselves that someone else will help. Perhaps
we hear their cries but remain silent because helping them might inconvenience
us.
Every
now and then, our faith and love for God are challenged through the people He
places along our path. Sometimes, the person who needs our help may be the very
person through whom Jesus is inviting us to express our love for Him.
Let
us therefore ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes so that we may see those who
are suffering, open our hearts so that we may feel compassion, and open our
hands so that we may be willing to help. Let us never turn a blind eye to those
who need us or pretend not to see their suffering. Let us not make excuses for
failing to help. Instead, let us be willing to stop, draw near, listen,
comfort, and serve.
Our
faith is not merely something we profess with our lips or practice within the
walls of our churches. Our faith becomes alive when God's love moves us to care
for others. Every act of mercy, every helping hand, every word of
encouragement, and every compassionate gesture can become a beautiful
expression of our love for God.
The
Good Samaritan reminds us that holiness is not only about knowing God's
commandments; it is about allowing those commandments to transform our hearts
and our actions. When we love God with all our heart, we cannot remain
indifferent to the suffering of our neighbor.
May
we never become so busy praying that we fail to notice someone who needs our
help. May we never become so concerned about our own lives that we forget those
who are hurting around us. And may we never allow fear, inconvenience,
prejudice, or indifference to prevent us from becoming instruments of God's
mercy.
Let
us remember: whenever we stop to help someone who is suffering, we are not
merely helping a stranger—we are allowing the love of Christ to become visible
through us.
When Jesus places someone in need along our path today, will we be
like the priest and the Levite who passed by, or will we allow the Holy Spirit
to move our hearts like the Good Samaritan and turn our faith into an act of
love and mercy?— Marino J. Dasmarinas
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