Gospel Reflection – 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 10th – ‘Go and do the same…’

The gospel this Sunday is the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’. Of all the parables, this is one of the most well-known. However, because we have heard it so many times, we might be tempted to read and hear it too quickly and therefore miss what it means for us today.

The man who questions Jesus is a good man; he knows the law and keeps it. But Jesus wants him to go beyond simply keeping the letter of the law. So when he asks who his neighbour is, Jesus answers him with the story we now call the ‘Good Samaritan’. This is more than just a story about a nice man doing a good thing. Jews and Samaritans were enemies at all levels; religious, social and cultural. So for this man, a Samaritan to take the time and effort to help the man who was attacked was a dangerous and risky thing to do. He didn’t simply see a Jew who was to be ignored. He saw someone who was in need. He went beyond what was expected of him. He went far beyond religious, social and cultural boundaries.

It is easy for us to help and care for those we know; those in our family, our friends, the people we like and who like us, or those who belong to ‘our’ group. What about those we find it difficult to get on it with, those we don’t like or those who speak and dress differently than we do? How do we treat those who are not part of ‘our’ group? This is a very demanding gospel. It encourages and challenges us to open our hearts and eyes to see those who are in any sort of need, regardless of who they are or where they are from.

We usually think of neighbour as the other; the other person next door, down the street, in our community or parish. This parable asks us to realise that we ourselves are the ‘neighbour’ and we are called to reach out in love and compassion to anyone who is in need of our help. The Good Samaritan reminds us that whatever we do for each other, we do for Christ and whatever we fail to do for each other, we fail to do for Christ. Each of us can do something, no matter how small it is to help another person. We can all offer the hand of help and support to someone who is in need. Who is your neighbour?

• Michael Moore OMI