Who is my neighbor?

 

 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  He said to him, "What is written in the law?  What is your reading of it?"  So he answered and said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'"  And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."  

 

But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"  Then Jesus answered and said:  "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a certain priest came down that road.  And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was.  And when he saw him, he had compassion.  So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'   So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"  And he said, "He who showed mercy on him."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."  

 

- Luke 10:25–37 

 

Yesterday we read that the seventy apostles Christ appointed returned with joy from their mission, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."  In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.  Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.  All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."

 

  And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  He said to him, "What is written in the law?  What is your reading of it?"  So he answered and said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'"  And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."   In St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus is asked, "What is the greatest commandment in the Law?"  He responds with a teaching of these two commandments spoken here in today's reading, adding that on these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets (see Matthew 22:36-40).  In today's reading, Jesus says, "Do this and you will live."  See also Ezekiel 18:19-32 from today's reading for another context to Christ's words, "Do this and you will live."

 

 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"  Then Jesus answered and said:  "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead."  My study Bible explains here that Jerusalem is the place of peace, symbolic of communion with God.  Jericho, on the other hand, was notorious as a place of sin (see Luke 19:1).  To fall among thieves, it says, speaks to the natural consequences of journeying away from God toward a life of sin (see John 10:10).  

 

"Now by chance a certain priest came down that road.  And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side."  My study Bible comments that titles and positions are meaningless in God's sight when good deeds do not accompany them.   It cites St. Cyril of Alexandria, who writes, "The dignity of the priesthood means nothing unless he also excels in deeds."  Moreover, that the priest and the Levite do not help the man also indicates the failure of the Old Testament Law to heal the consequences of sin.

 

 "But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was.  And when he saw him, he had compassion."  My study Bible notes that this Samaritan is a despised foreigner, and at the same time in this story he is an image of Christ (John 8:48), for Christ "came down from heaven" (the Creed) to save even those in rebellion against Him.  

 

"So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'   So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"  And he said, "He who showed mercy on him."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."  My study Bible comments that the bandages, oil, and wine are sacramental images.  The bandages suggest the garment of baptism, which delivers us from the wounds of sin.  The oil stands in for the oil of chrismation, which gives us new life in the Holy Spirit.  The wine tells us of the communion of Christ's divine Blood, which leads to eternal life.  That the Samaritan set the man on his own animal suggests Christ who bears our sins in His own body.  Finally, the inn is the Church in which Christ's care is received.  Jesus Himself pays the price for that care (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23).  

 

Today's lectionary reading (as indicated in commentary above) also includes a passage from Ezekiel in which God expresses the ways in which people shall live and not die; each is responsible for his or her own sins; if a sinful person turns to righteousness they shall live -- and if a righteous person turns to sin he or she will not (Ezekiel 18:1-4; 19-32).  Today Jesus gives us the two commandments on which "hang all the Law and the Prophets," which are found at Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18.  The lawyer, then, asks what might be considered a clever question, "And who is my neighbor?"  Jesus' answer is to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan, in which we come to understand that to be a neighbor is to practice something, to do something -- and that is to live a life following Christ, one of compassion.    In the Epistle of St. James, he writes extensively about faith and works, and how they go hand in hand (see James 2:14-26).  There should not be one without the other; neither can save alone.  When he writes that "faith without works is dead" (James 2:26), he is telling us that we need to live our faith, not simply believe but fail to practice what our faith teaches.  Jesus expresses the same when He points to His spiritual family of mother and brothers:  "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."  (See this reading.)   The story of the Good Samaritan in today's reading is an even more explicit and frankly, brilliant, illustration of what it means to live our faith, for it not only touches on the active compassion of the Samaritan, but it even tells us that what it means to be a neighbor is similar to what it takes to be mother or brother or sister to Christ.  It means living our faith, hearing and doing.  Not either one alone, but both, together.  Hearing the word, and doing it; receiving it into our hearts, and living it.  This is where Christ asks us to be in our lives, a living embodiment of the word He teaches, which He receives from the Father.  So much so, that we not only become faithful, but we become a neighbor.  Jesus tells the lawyer, "Go and do likewise."  Let us note that the Samaritan in our parable shows compassion to one who fell among thieves, who strays and is hurt on the wrong path in life.  So should we understand what it is to help those in need of our help, and welcome them back to the inn of our Lord.  For today's parable not only teaches us about being a neighbor, but also that the nature of our Church is to be a hospital, caring for those who need its compassion and active love.  Perhaps it is here we should note that this beautiful parable is found only in the Gospel of St. Luke, who is known also to us in the Church as the "beloved physician."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted

 

 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.  And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy.  And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"  But they kept silent.  And He took him and healed him, and let him go.  Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?"  And they could not answer Him regarding these things.  

So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:  "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.  But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.'  Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.  For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 

 

- Luke 14:1-11 

 

Yesterday we read that some Pharisees came, saying to Jesus, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You."  And He said to them, "Go, tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.'  Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.  "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"

 

  Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.  And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy.  And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"  But they kept silent.  And He took him and healed him, and let him go.  Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?"  And they could not answer Him regarding these things.  This argument continues from the events of the reading on Wednesday, in which Jesus healed a woman who'd been infirm for eighteen years.  That healing varied slightly, in the sense that her infirmity was seen as an affliction of an unclean spirit.  This illness, we should note, is not attributed to a spirit.  Dropsy was a term for edema, caused by heart failure which led to accumulation of fluid and resultant generalized swelling.  But the issue here which is taken up by Christ is the same one as at that earlier healing.  The scribes and Pharisees had built up traditions around the Law, and in that tradition healing was considered work; it therefore was not permissible on the Sabbath.  But, once again, building on His previous argument (in Wednesday's reading), Jesus brings up the issue of a working animal, for whom exceptions were made if its life were threatened on the Sabbath.  Hence, they cannot answer Him.

 

 So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:  "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.  But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.'  Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.  For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  My study Bible points out that this parable is directed toward guests, while the one that follows (verses 12-14, to be included in Monday's reading) is directed toward hosts.  In imitation of Christ, it says, perfect humility is expected of guests, and boundless charity is demanded of hosts (see James 4:6).

The note in my study Bible regarding the command for perfect humility of guests, and boundless charity of hosts, should make us pause to think about what we might call today common courtesy, or good manners.  These traditions of charity, which over time became understood as good manners or courtesy, should not be forgotten as institutions made holy for us by Christ.  We can see in the readings in the Gospels the various aspects of formal practices at feasts and dinners which are mentioned, often coming from religious practice, such as formal washing of cups or other vessels (Mark 7:4).  Jesus also takes to task a particular host for being remiss by comparison to a notorious sinful woman who anoints Him with oil.  When Jesus knows that His host is scandalized by the woman, He first tells a parable about forgiveness and love, and then He says to him, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in."  These are customs of courtesy we may assume are present in the society.  But Jesus takes courtesy, especially in the forms of humility and charity (about which we shall read in Monday's reading) to another level, and renders them essentially commands of God.  In the practice of humility at public events, Christ speaks of gracious behavior.  In so doing, He says, we will be exalted and receive for ourselves a kind of glory in the presence of others.  This enshrining of gracious behavior is something we shouldn't forget in our own commerce and interaction with others, no matter the occasion.  For should we engage in both humble behavior or charitable behavior, in both cases we are not simply following the dictates of polite society or good manners, we are following Christ to be "like Christ."  These are commands for humility and compassion, for the practice of charity, for charity also depends on the graciousness of humility and not boastfulness or self-indulgence.  When we practice such practices of "good manners" we are, in effect, engaging in the spirit of Christ, treating others as we would be treated, and thus we can consider His words to be His gracious response to us:  "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."   Therefore let us ask ourselves to be consciously aware of such behaviors, and not consider the forms of social intercourse of every day life to be absent significance for Christ -- for here in today's reading He declares them to be so by preaching about them.  Every small instance of engagement with another, whether we are a guest or a host, or even simply a chance encounter, is an opportunity for participating in the spirit of God through such practices of humility and charity, both synonymous with gracious behavior.  It's my belief that we're given these teachings in the Gospels for significant reasons, therefore they should not be dismissed as mere social teachings or customs, but we must see them instead as precious to Christ through His own words here.  Jesus teaches us "what manner of spirit we are of" (Luke 9:55).  In the monastic tradition, hospitality was so treasured in response that even prayer would be interrupted in order to greet a stranger at the door.  In a modern secular context, we are often unaware what social class, wealth, education, and other differences make to people, and the significant impact they have on social interaction.  Such differences can be intimidating.  For one faithful to Christ, humility can be a form of recognizing these difficulties and treating all with equal graciousness and kindness, honoring the "poor in spirit" beloved of Christ (Matthew 5:3).   We can also understand Christ's words as teaching those with many blessings the absolute necessity for humility.  Let us take to heart the significance of each opportunity for doing as Christ commanded.  In the presence of the stranger or the one known to us, we are given an opportunity to serve Christ, no matter how insignificant or unknown to others we may consider the encounter to be.

 

 

 

 

 

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted

 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.  And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy.  And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"  But they kept silent.  And He took him and healed him, and let him go.  Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?"  And they could not answer Him regarding these things.

So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:  "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.  But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.'  Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.  For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

- Luke 14:1-11

Yesterday we read that on the same day He was preaching about the "narrow gate" of the kingdom, some Pharisees came, saying to Him, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You."  And He said to them, "Go, tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.'  Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'"

Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely.  And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy.  And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"  But they kept silent.  And He took him and healed him, and let him go.  Then He answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?"  And they could not answer Him regarding these things.  This is a repeat or continuation of a fight between some Pharisees and Jesus, and His illustration builds on His words in 13:15 (see this reading for that earlier healing on the Sabbath).  The fight is over what is considered to be work, but as Jesus points out, it was considered acceptable to save the life of an animal on the Sabbath, so why not a human being?  As happens so often with Jesus in debate with His opponents, they simply cannot respond.

So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them:  "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.  But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.'  Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.  For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  My study bible says that in this parable of a wedding feast (and those that will follow in Monday's reading), Jesus directs His teachings first toward guests (in today's reading), and then hosts (in the verses that will follow).  It says that, in imitation of Christ, perfect humility is expected of guests, and boundless charity is demanded of hosts (see James 4:6). 

 Jesus gives a parable about the wisdom of behaving with humility, but we also can't help but think that it's directed to these men who may not be aware of the One who is seated with them.  He has struggled with the Pharisees over this issue of healing on the Sabbath.  So important is it to Jesus, that He has made a deliberate confrontation over it, and repeatedly.  His skills not only as orator but one who debates theological meanings are so sharp that He reduces these learned men to silence, as we read several times in the Gospels, and most notably in the events of Holy Week.  In this parable of the wedding feast that He tells them, after their disagreement over healing the man on the Sabbath, one cannot help but recall that the wedding feast is the time of joy which suggests the wedding of the Bridegroom (Christ) with His Bride, Jerusalem.  Coming so shortly after yesterday's reading, in which Jesus lamented the disloyalty and lack of returned love from Jerusalem, it seems there is another suggested meaning here, found in the image of the wedding feast.  These men consider themselves as the arbiters of the faith.  They are experts in the Law and in the traditions that have been built up around the Law by men such as themselves; they have inherited and zealously guard this tradition.  And who is Christ?  He is a teacher from Galilee, not one of their numbers, not of priestly rank.  He has no education at the foot of a famous rabbi that He can claim for Himself as the authoritative teaching He cites when He speaks.  But at this point He is famous for His healing, for exorcisms, and for preaching.  He has a movement of those who follow Him, a ministry that has gone throughout Galilee.  When Jesus speaks about taking the lowest places at the wedding feast, so that they may be invited up by their host and receive glory from all, it is clearly suggestive of the judgment and the great day of the Wedding Feast that is to come.  He is not simply telling a parable about the benefits of humility to us (which is certainly true), but there is a hint here to these authoritative men that they may not understand who sits with them, and that they must take care that their own "exaltation" does not do them in.  It opens up the question of just who is the host and who is the guest, and who might be the greater man at the table.  In Jesus' role as Son of Man, He is the Lord who attends a banquet entertained by those who are unaware of this identity.  As Lord, He is clearly the "host" of all of us in this world, in which all that we have and our very lives are His gift.  We are stewards of His creation.  Therefore, there is yet another sense in which this parable is for all of us; we are always guests at this banquet to which we are invited, and therefore our proper conduct is one of humility in this sense as well.  We forget in whose presence and at whose invitation we sit at a table of life, at whose invitation we are invited to share in the bounty and goodness of this Kingdom.   The real question opens up for us a sharp look at our modern concepts of social standing.  How do we value humility?   Can we grasp Jesus' teaching for ourselves?   How many ways do we need to undo our own social mores of this time in order to accept His teaching on the value of humility?  At the very least, do we consider the banquet to which we're invited and the wisdom of Christ regarding an attitude of humility?  Popular images today seem to glorify social standing and "popularity" even more than in Christ's time, and so in accepting this value placed on humility by Jesus, we do have our own personal work cut out for us.  Let us consider His timeless words, and the virtue He espouses, and how it may play out for each of us as we grasp what He's getting at in our own lives.