Towards a love beyond labels
(Luke 10:25-37)
Pope Francis says society creates “an adjective culture” that prefers to immediately label people as good or bad. Jesus, he says, breaks the mentality that separates, excludes, isolates and belittles the person.
A good example of what the pope says is found in the parable in today’s Gospel. The very fact that we know the story as, ‘The Good Samaritan’ seems to imply that he is the exception, that most Samaritans are ‘bad’. That’s certainly how Jesus’ audience would have viewed Samaritans.
Ideas of hospitality, welcoming the stranger and caring for those in need held a very high place in Jewish scriptures, spirituality and practice. The practise of these virtues was long recognised as responding to the Word (God’s Law) placed in the believer’s heart.
That is, acting after God’s own heart.
Asking who is my neighbour (who is ’in’ or ‘out’) is the wrong question according to Jesus. Rather, one should ask, “How should a member of God’s chosen people act?” In the parable it is not a member of the Chosen People who acts after God’s heart, but an outsider, a Samaritan. It is he who shows how a member of God’s people should act towards those in need. He does not
ask, “Who is my neighbour”; he shows himself to be a neighbour and a person after God’s own heart by the lavish way he helps the man in need.
This is ‘loving with all one’s heart’. Can we go and do the same?
This encounter of mercy
between a Samaritan and a Jew
is highly provocative;
it leaves no room for ideological
manipulation
and challenges us to expand
our frontiers.
Fratelli tutti n. 83
- Celebrating At Home - pdf 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time [PDF] (3.99 MB)
- Celebrating At Home - default 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time [ePub] (2.43 MB)
- Celebrando en Familia - pdf 15 Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario (573 KB)
- Celebrando in Casa - pdf XV Domenica del Tempo Ordinario (572 KB)
