GO AND DO THE SAME

HOMILY FOR THE 15TH SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

Faith is an encounter. It is an encounter between God and man. It is an encounter that has the form of a dialogue. And just like many conversations could begin with a question, so too our encounter with Jesus could begin with a question. Longing for truth, we run to God. And surely, Christ is our light shining in the Church and in the world. Indeed, the questions we might ask and the feeling that goes with expecting an answer from the Lord help to lubricate our relationship and enhance our communication with God. Was it not Albert Einstein who was quoted to have said: “the important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing”? To not let our curiosity die is a profitable way of maintaining our awe about God. Dialogue is a tool of faith. Reminding ourselves of this could make us view the Gospel Reading (Luke 10:25-37) from the angle of a dialogue between Jesus and a lawyer, and a possible dialogue between Jesus and us. The Gospel pericope has a structure that is beautifully arranged in the form of a dialogue: the lawyer speaks, Jesus listens and responds; Jesus speaks, the lawyer listens and responds.

a) The lawyer quests (v. 25); Jesus replies with a question (v. 26)

b) The Lawyer answers (v. 27); Jesus replies with the first commission (Luke 10:28)

c) The Lawyer quests more (v. 29); Jesus replies with the story of the Samaritan, but ended with yet another question (vv. 29-36)

d) The lawyer answers (v. 37a); Jesus replies him with the second commission (v.37b)

A clear look at the above arrangement reminds us of the socratic method of dialogue, whereby the questioner is led to discover the answer to his/her question by more questions from the person being questioned. This is called maieutics; in it the teacher acts like a midwife to the student who is led to discover the answer to the question through more questions. Jesus acted then as a midwife who helped the lawyer to discover what must be done to gain eternal life. One might say that the Evangelist employed this hermeneutic tool in his narrative to convey to his Gentile audience what it meant to seek eternal life. He ended with the story of the Samaritan to present to them how a non-Jew like them could care for a person who was in need. We might also think of ourselves as this lawyer. When we ask God questions, God might not be answering them directly but might be leading us to answer by ourselves. In numerous ways, we could be expecting to get answers from the Lord while the Lord is leading us to look into ourselves for the answers, so as to discover how to go and do the same like the Samaritan.

An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. His intention might have been to test Jesus about his knowledge of the law of Moses and to discover what law he would favour as the most important; for only the most important law could lead one to eternal life. It is indeed surprising that this lawyer had allowed his motive  to have blinded him from recognising that the one he was talking to was himself the eternal life he sought. Of course, we know how the Gospel of John centres eternal life around Jesus; and this is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3). Jesus knew he had knowledge of the law as the lawyer that he was and thus referred him instantly to the law. In his answer, the lawyer made allusions to Deut. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18. Jesus then commissioned him to do as the Law said: love God and love your neighbour. But there was something extra to be understood. And this would be discovered in the following question the lawyer would ask. He probed further: who is my neighbour? It would take Jesus the telling of a story –the famous story of the Good Samaritan– to lead him towards the answer, and to commission him to go and do the same.

In that story, Jesus presented three people; two of which were law-conscious people who believed in the letters of the law more than the spirit. The priest and the Levite had passed by the wounded man for fear of becoming defiled. By this, Jesus corrects the impression that sees only the law as the necessity for eternal life. Even though the knowledge and the observance of the law could be important for eternal life, discovering and living by the spirit of the law completes the legs two for the journey of our faith. The Christian application of the law is love; discovering how to apply the law to particular occasions. The pathway to eternal life starts as the First Reading (Deut. 30:10-14) from the obedience to the voice of God who reminds us that true religion is the religion of love rooted in the hearts and souls of all peoples.

Indeed, the entire story of the Good Samaritan could be read from the angle of our journey in life and the experiences we encounter. We might love to see ourselves like this wounded man who was making a journey from Jerusalem to Jericho. The location of his departure might suggest that he was from Jerusalem. And this would mean that his own country men had passed but were indifferent to him. It took a Gentile whom he might not have having desired to relate with to save him. Oh, the mystery of life. In life and in our journey of faith, there might be three groups of people we could encounter. The first group would represent the brigands who left the man half dead. The second group would represent the two people (the priest and the Levite) who were indifferent to the dying man, and the third group would represent the one person who cared for him. We are encouraged not to despair when we meet persons belonging to the first and second group, but to be encouraged by the persons who belong to the third group. We are all the more encouraged by Christ to imitate the one who showed love and to go and do the same.

Therefore, one’s neighbour includes the person with whom you might not share the same faith, race, opinion, gender or background. True Christians are called in a world that is becoming more exclusive to break those boundaries and reach out to the other in need. It was the Samaritan that understood this. He understood what it meant to break boundaries for love. With this story and the famous question that followed -which of these three was a neighbour to the wounded man?- Jesus turned the lawyer’s question on its head.

The lawyer would agree that the Samaritan showed himself a neighbour to the wounded person. He had now answered his own question. Jesus would then reply by commissioning him to go and imitate the Samaritan. What a lovely conversation/dialogue that ended with a commissioning to witness to love; for only through selfless love could one attain eternal life; for only through selfless love could one destroy social, cultural and racial boundaries!!! Remember, it took Jesus’ selfless love to make peace by the blood of his cross (cf. Second Reading; Col. 1:15-20). Is it not how our conversation with Jesus Christ ought to lead us to more love and better ways of practising charity? And should this not also inspire the conversations we engage with people; one that motivates, pardons, and evangelizes? Fruitful conversations inspire evangelization and deepens spirituality. Could this not be why Christian spirituality encourages all Christ’s faithful to have spiritual direction; someone with whom one could discuss his/her spiritual needs and concerns? Spiritual direction requires trust, humility, and obedience. Trust gives the courage to approach, humility gives the strength to listen, and obedience gives the power to act according to the direction -go and do the same. Do have a lovely week ahead; God bless you.