Blessed are those who reach out to others

 

Welcome to my blog. Peace be with you.

Today we hear the story of ‘the Good Samaritan.’ If everyone in the world were to follow this, the number of suffering people would be very much less. Peace would reign in the world. Jesus preached it and did it. Like him let us bring a little more light into this world of darkness. We could start today.

Monday 5 October 2020

Blessed are those who reach out to others in their need

 

Gospel

Luke 10:25-37

The good Samaritan

1.      There was a lawyer who, to disconcert Jesus, stood up and said to him,

2.      ‘Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’

3.      He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? What do you read there?’

4.      He replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.’

5.      ‘You have answered right,’ said Jesus ‘do this and life is yours.’

 

6.      But the man was anxious to justify himself and said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’

 

7.      Jesus replied, ‘A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of brigands; they took all he had, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead.

8.      Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.

9.      In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side.

 

10. But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him. He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them.

11. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked after him.

12. Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said “and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have.”

 

13. Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands‘ hands?’

14. ‘The one who took pity on him’ he replied. Jesus said to him,

 

15. ‘Go, and do the same yourself.’

 

Jesus is telling us be ‘good Samaritans.’ to everyone in need, regardless of who they are. In Matthew’s Gospel, he will tell us there is good reason to be. Jesus himself identifies himself with those who suffer. What we do to them, we do to Jesus. For anyone who loves Jesus with all their heart and soul, this is enough. They will never grow ‘stinking rich’ as the phrase goes, but will spend ALL their surplus on Jesus. 

Not rich in this world, but mightily rich in the next and eternal world.