Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart.”

 

Gospel Reading: Luke 10:25-37

 

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus 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.”

 

How far are you willing to go to obtain eternal life? Jesus says its simple, “Love God with everything you have and love your neighbor even if he is your enemy.” Such simple words, yet so hard to do. In the parable in today’s Gospel reading, a priest and a Levite, both fellow Jews, leave the man on the side of the road to die, while the person least likely to help the man, the Samaritan a sworn enemy to the Jews, stops to render aid. Christ calls us to do the same, we are called to render aid to everyone, even to those who we do not want to render aid. So you’re probably asking, why didn’t the priest and the Levite stop and render aid.  Because the man was bleeding and was considered unclean.  No priest or Rabbi would have stopped and touched the man because it would have made them spiritually impure. But Christ tells us that these human rituals and laws do not surpass the requirement to help our fellow man, no matter who or under what circumstance. 

 

We must be willing to help everyone who is in need of help. We must be willing to defend everyone who is being treated unjustly. The parable tells us that not only must we render aid to everyone, but we must also help our enemy get back on his feet. How far are you willing to go for your enemy? You must be willing to die to the views of the world. God did not give us hatred, it is a learned trait given to us in our fallen world. Hatred consumes the love that God has poured out for us. Hatred causes neighbors to kill neighbors. Hatred consumes our very soul. How can you go to heaven if you do not love and cherish all of the creations of God? Ask God to give you the strength to love those who you hate. Ask God to abolish the hatred in your soul so you can reach out to your enemy. How can you love God and hate one of his creations. We must treat our enemy with mercy.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Lord God, help me abolish the hatred which grows in my heart.

Help me to learn to love my neighbor as I love you.

May learn to have mercy for all as you have given mercy to me.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael F. Marcon