Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

 

 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 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?"  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 returned from their first mission with joy, 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 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."   Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18.

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 the parable by telling us that Jerusalem is the place of peace, symbolic of communion with God.  But Jericho, on the other hand, was a place renowned as one of sin (see 19:1-10).  To fall among thieves, it says, speaks to to the natural consequence of journeying away from God and 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 tells us that titles and positions are meaningless in the sight of God when the works of faith do not accompany them.  It quotes St. Cyril of Alexandria here:  "The dignity of the priesthood means nothing unless he also excels in deeds."  That both the priest and the Levite fail to 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 explains that the Samaritan, who is a despised foreigner, is an image of Christ (John 8:48).  For Christ "came down from heaven," as it says in the Creed, to save even those who are in rebellion against 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?"  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.'"  My study bible tells us that the bandages, oil, and wine (all commonly used at the time for healing) are sacramental images.   They image, first of all, the garment of baptism, delivering us from the wounds of sin.  Second, the oil of chrismation which gives us new life in the Holy Spirit.  Moreover, in the wine is imaged the communion of the divine Blood, which leads to eternal life.  His own animal gives us an image of Christ bearing our sins in His own body, while the inn symbolizes the Church in which Christ's care is received.  Finally, Christ pays the price for that care (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23).  

"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."  Christ teaches us that being a neighbor is an active pursuit of living our faith in daily life.  Indeed, He gives us all the command to do so by saying, "Go and do likewise."

 

For many of us, it's hard not to reconcile the notion of the Good Samaritan with our modern notions against racism and other types of prejudice.  This is indeed important, as Christ would shatter many such restrictions in the way of thinking.  This is expressed possibly most clearly in St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians 3:28, when he writes, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."  Within the Body of Christ, we are one.  But there is a deeper meaning to the parable of the Good Samaritan than a message about divisions between ethnic groups or other sorts of sources of group identity.  For that broader and deeper message, we need to turn to Jesus' parable about the Judgment, in which He separates the sheep and the goats, found in Matthew 25:31-46.  In that parable about the final judgment, Jesus separates the righteous from the others based upon their works of mercy produced by their faith.  The righteous ask Him, "Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?"  And Jesus says, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."  In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus is also teaching along these same lines, advocating what it is to be a neighbor, and dissolving lines of ethnic or other divisions that meddle with identity within and among those who would be righteous.  He is emphatically teaching that it is righteous behavior -- those who show care and mercy as products of faith -- that deems a person a true neighbor.  He issues a command for each of us to "go and do likewise."  Note that this puts the emphasis on initiative by us, we who follow Christ's teachings.  We do not wait for another to define "neighbor" for us.  Neither do we take our cues from anywhere else but from our own faith.  In effect, it takes this perspective to cement in the teaching of Christ that to truly be righteous, one must both "love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind," and "your neighbor as yourself."  In Christ's understanding and teaching, faith and works are not separated into two distinct categories.  Rather, one must be a product of the other, and they go hand in hand.  To be a true neighbor requires real faith and love of God, and it also asks for the hands to express the heart that loves God in the world.  Let us note that the Samaritan did not search for a cause to prosecute, a party to support, or any other way to follow a social grouping based on an abstract preposition.  This is life as lived and experienced; he came upon the hurt man and responded as faith in God would call him to respond.  It is, in a sense, allowing God to present him with a dilemma and making a choice to do what is necessary to do with what is right in front of him.  It interferes with his plans, his interests, and what he had in mind.  But this is how life works.  God calls on us out of the blue, through things placed right in front of us to respond to, to make choices over.  I imagine the Samaritan had to ask himself what was more important -- and the heart responds with a course of action based on the choice made out of the love for God.  If we each look into our own lives, we will find God placing such options and choices before our eyes and hands all the time, in which circumstances compel us to make choices as to where our true identity and loyalties really lie.  For the Samaritan, helping this hurt man was at once more important than the needs of business, spending his time and effort and even laying out money to help with his care.  For each of us, choices will come out of the blue and force us to think about priorities and choose where our real identity and loyalty must be, for this is the way God works in our lives.  So where are you called today, and what choices do you have to make?  We should remember that our own identities really depend upon the answers we make -- the place we decide our true loyalty resides.  

 

 

 

 

You are not far from the kingdom of God

 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is:  'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."  So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher.  You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.  And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  But after that no one dared question Him.

- Mark 12:28-34

Yesterday we read that they sent to Jesus some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words as He taught in the temple.  When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth.  Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?"  But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me?  Bring Me a denarius that I may see it."  So they brought it.  And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"  They said to Him, "Caesar's."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  And they marveled at Him.  Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:  "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.  And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring.  And the third likewise.  So the seven had her and left no offspring.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be?  For all seven had her as wife."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?  For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.  But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.  You are therefore greatly mistaken."

 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"  Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is:  'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.  And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this:  'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these."  So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher.  You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.  And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."  Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  But after that no one dared question Him.  Jesus answers the question of the scribe by quoting Deuteronomy 6:4-5, which is the greatest Jewish confession of faith.  It is called the shema', which means "hear," the first word of the confession.  He then quotes Leviticus 19:18, creating a combination in order to forge a new understanding.  Consistent with His teaching to the apostles regarding the care of the littlest and their use of power (see all the readings from last week), and with His teachings on prayer and forgiveness (see Tuesday's reading), Jesus expresses through what is already present in the Old Testament a new lesson:  that love of neighbor is an expression of love of God.  Let us note that this scribe, a lawyer, is told by Jesus that he is "not far from the kingdom of God."  The Gospels give us a sense that among the leadership there are those who become faithful followers of Christ, including the Pharisee Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy man of Jerusalem, both members of the ruling Council.

It's important that we understand that despite what is to come, Jesus' condemnation by the Council, the Gospels teach us that all members of the Council are not alike.  Rather, the picture we get is one of manipulation from the powerful at the top through wrong use of power, violations of their own law and procedure, and for reasons of envy.  But all in leadership do not agree, and there are those who are clearly not merely sympathetic to Jesus, but who also at great risk to themselves become disciples and supporters.  This is important because the Gospels teach that there are no assumptions to be made based on a social or community identity; what is truly important is just what Christ teaches in today's reading:  who are those who keep these two great commandments, understanding that they go hand in hand?  Throughout Mark's Gospel, Jesus has set out the difference between using power as a manipulative and coercive tool, and using power and authority in ways that create and practice love and compassion.  He has Himself set the example for this.  Here, in His answer to the scribe's question, Jesus sets out the correct juxtaposition of the two greatest commandments of the Law, that in effect sum up His own teachings.  First, one must love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.  Coupled with this first and greatest commandment Jesus deliberately adds a second:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  Jesus teaches us about compassion.  In Matthew's Gospel, when He sums up the Judgment that will come at the end of the age, He speaks of the separation of sheep and goats, using them as images for the ways of life that people practice.  The separation takes place on the basis of the showing of compassion, and this is the summing up Jesus presents us with in these two greatest commandments.  We note the importance of the fact that one comes first.  It is God who is arbiter of all things, and God who is love, and from whom we learn concepts of love, of justice, of truth, of mercy.  It is in this model of loving God through communion that we learn how to love neighbor, how to use discernment, how to find true righteousness that does not shrink from truth about our condition and that of our neighbor.  Let us consider how we fulfill these two great commandments, and in what order of magnitude we need to understand them.  What are we to make of Jesus' reply to the scribe?  Perhaps it is the understanding that to fully live these commands is to draw the Kingdom near to us.