Go and Do Likewise: The Example of the Good Samaritan

Homily For The 15TH Sunday In The Ordinary Time. Year C. July 10, 2022

Sunday Readings

Never allow responsibilities to hinder you from helping others especially when the others’ survival depends on you. There is an exception to every rule especially when the demands of charity are of priority.

My Dearest Friends in Christ,

The readings of today, especially the Gospel narrative which is a familiar one to all of us, remind us that the demands of charity towards those in need should be of priority. Christianity without the love of neighbor is worse than atheism. Humanity is one big neighborhood. We have no excuses for not being responsible for caring for others.

~In the Gospel, Jesus tells us the story of the Good Samaritan at the request of a scholar of the law to broaden his and our perspective on who truly is our neighbor. In a world where many limit their help and support to members of their own families, race, or those who have some kind of affiliation with them, Jesus uses this parable to teach us that Christian CHARITY, LOVE, AND COMPASSION have NO LIMITS NOR BOUNDARIES. Our reflection this morning centers on this question. Why didn’t the Priest and the Levite stop to help the man beaten by the robbers? The attitude of both might give us some insights into why many today fail to help others.
~ These may have been their reasons.

That was a dangerous road (Jerusalem to Jericho). In the days of Jesus, it was known as the ’Bloody Pass’.
It’s possible that they felt that the man on the ground was merely faking and was acting like he had been robbed and hurt to lure them over there for a quick and easy seizure.
Since they were going to Jerusalem to perform ecclesiastical functions in the Temple and according to Jewish ceremonial laws, touching a dead body would have made them impure and hence unfit for the Temple sacrifice. So they passed by on the other side of the road.
Maybe they passed by because they wouldn’t have wanted to be late for the Temple service.

These may sound like justification to exonerate or dismiss the negligence of the Priest and the Levite. While I do not judge nor condemn them, it serves as a lesson to us all who give excuses or justify our actions for neglecting others. This is exactly the reason Jesus used this story to teach us today.
“Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely, and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.” –St. Teresa of Calcutta

~In one of his reflections, Martin Luther King said that the first question that the Priest and the Levite may have asked was, “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But then the Good Samaritan came by, and reversed the question, “if I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?” Many will not forgive you for failing to provide the ladder for their climbing up to greatness. Be conscientious about this when you want to ignore people you can help. The heroism of the Good Samaritan lies in his readiness to take the risk having considered all the possible risks. When it comes to helping others, what matters is their welfare, not our safety. You can never be helpful if you keep counting the cost.

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~During Jesus’s time, the Jews and the Samaritans despised and shunned each other. Yet we see that something good can come from a person we dislike or hate. The Priest and the Levite represent the devout Christians today filling up churches every Sunday and the Good Samaritan represents the groups, denominations, races, or ethnicities we dislike. No matter how devout we think we are, simple acts of charity that we neglect might be a hindrance on our way to sanctity. We glorify God through our good deeds and not just in external religious observances. Finally, do not condemn people as a group because even if the Samaritans were all bad, there was still a good one among them. Racial prejudice or hatred is wrong and sinful.

~From the second reading, every human person is created in the image of God. We were created through God and for God. God loves and keeps us in being and as His loving children. We must extend that love to everyone and respect the image of God in them.

~The law of God is on our lips and inscribed in our hearts. Let’s ask for the grace in this Mass to keep His commandments and to be true neighbors to all we meet daily. Don’t forget that your neighbor is anyone in need of your help.