15th Sunday of Ordinary Time—Cycle C—2016
FIRST READING Deuteronomy 30:10-14
Moses said to the people: “If only you would heed the voice of the LORD, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this book of the law, when you return to the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul. “For this command that I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you. It is not up in the sky, that you should say, ‘Who will go up in the sky to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?’ Nor is it across the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?’ No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.”
SECOND READING Colossians 1:15-20
Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.
GOSPEL Luke 10:25-37
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply, You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
My sisters and brothers in the Lord,
Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? This is the theme for our readings today. All of us want to know what we must do for eternal life. The way in which we ask the question is probably more important than the answer. If I am looking only for the things that I must do, my question will take me to a dead end. If I am asking how to follow the Teacher, the Lord Jesus, then all shall be well. We should all be attentive to the difference in the way we ask questions! The first way of asking this question could result in a handbook of the various things that I must do. The second way of asking the question has only a vague answer that must be lived concretely each day: Love God and love your neighbor!
The first reading today is from the Book of Deuteronomy and is very similar to today’s Gospel: heed the voice of the Lord and keep His commandments and statutes. Sure, there is something a bit more concrete in this advice than that of the Gospel, but it implies an ongoing listening to the voice of the Lord—and that is the same as loving God and neighbor. God’s message to us, His people, has been consistent throughout all ages: listen to His voice, love Him and others, follow Him in every moment of life.
The second reading, from the Letter of the Colossians, again contains this same type of teaching, but is now specific that God is in Jesus and it is Jesus, our Teacher, that we must follow, and He is the head of the Church and so we must belong in the Church. Jesus is God and Jesus is encountered now in His Church. So many today would like to say: I love Jesus but I don’t like the Church. This kind of thinking has no place in us who follow the Teacher, the Lord Jesus. Jesus is the head of the Church and the Spirit guides the Church. Jesus and the Spirit show us the Father in His Church.
The whole focus of Luke’s Gospel today is on the story of the Good Samaritan. Clearly we are called to love our neighbor. This is the direct teaching of Jesus. And who is my neighbor: everyone who comes into my life in any way. My neighbor is every person I treat with mercy for love of the Lord Jesus, my Teacher. My neighbor is each person who needs my help or asks my help or who enters my life in any way. We can see quickly that this answer makes us leave aside any book of good deeds that I must do and instead I must serve each person according to that person’s needs. An incredible commandment! It demands everything of us, just as it demanded everything of Jesus, even unto death.
My sisters and brothers, we are invited to walk the way of the Teacher, the Lord Jesus, and serve all others and to give our lives up completely in the love of others. Let us walk in the way of the Lord!
Your brother in the Lord,
Abbot Philip