15th Sunday in Ordinary time cycle C

LUKE 10:25-37
ONCE THERE WAS A VILLAGE WHERE AN OLD MAN LIVED IN A SHACK AT THE EDGE OF TOWN. HE HAD A SMALL GARDEN WHICH HE TENDED, AND HE WOULD SIT AND PLAY HIS HARMONICA IN THE EVENINGS TO THE DELIGHT OF CHILDREN AND OTHERS WHO PASSED BY. WHEN HIS GARDEN GREW, HE WOULD GIVE AWAY ITS PRODUCE. HIS CLOTHING WAS OLD AND SMELLY AND IN TATTERS, SO ONE DAY THE TOWNSPEOPLE TOOK UP A COLLECTION AND BOUGHT A COMPLETE SET OF NEW CLOTHING FOR HIM. THEY WRAPPED IT IN A PACKAGE AND PUT IT ON HIS DOORSTEP AT NIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING HE TOLD HIS FRIENDS ABOUT IT WITH GREAT EXCITEMENT. “LOOK AT THE WONDERFUL CLOTHES SOMEONE LEFT ON MY STEPS,” HE EXCLAIMED. “YOU ARE VERY LUCKY,” REPLIED THE VILLAGERS. “I KNOW,” HE REPLIED. “JUST YESTERDAY I MET SOMEONE WHO COULD REALLY USE THEM.”
I THINK WE ALL KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE ALWAYS DOING THINGS FOR OTHER PEOPLE. SOME OF THEM SEEM TO NEVER THINK OF THEMSELVES. WE KNOW PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALMOST NOTHING, BUT WILL GIVE YOU WHAT THEY CAN – SOME HOMEMADE SOUP; A MAGAZINE OR BOOK THEY PARTICULARLY ENJOYED; MAYBE THEY WOULD DROP EVERYTHING AND GO WITH SOMEONE WHO NEEDED A COMPANION ON A TRIP. AND THESE PERSONS ARE NOT WHO WE MIGHT THINK OF AS SAINTS. SOMETIMES THEY ARE VERY FLAWED. SOMETIMES THEY SEEM TO HAVE PERSONALITY DISORDERS. BUT I ENVY THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE SO GENEROUS.
THE LAWYER WAS A GOOD MAN; HE WAS INTERESTED IN GETTING TO HEAVEN. HE THOUGHT JESUS HAD SOME SECRET. BUT JESUS JUST SAID SOMETHING THAT EVERY JEW LEARNED AS A CHILD; LOVE GOD WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE, LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. THE LAWYER THOUGHT A MINUTE; IT WAS TOO SIMPLE AN ANSWER. BUT HE HAD JESUS' ATTENTION SO HE ASKED A VERY LAWYERLY QUESTION. WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?
THE LAWYER WANTED INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN. HE DIDN'T WANT TO WASTE TIME LAVISHING LOVE ON THE WRONG PEOPLE!
BUT JESUS IN TELLING THE STORY, TURNS THE TABLES. HE SAYS, “DON'T WORRY ABOUT GETTING SAVED – THAT'S MY JOB. YOU, GO OUT AND BE A NEIGHBOR.”
WE PRETTY MUCH GET JESUS' POINT. THE SAMARITAN, WHO IS FROM A PEOPLE THAT THE JEWS HATED, TURNS OUT TO BE THE NEIGHBOR. BUT WHAT WAS THE MATTER WITH THE PRIEST AND THE LEVITE?
THE PRIEST HURRIED BY BECAUSE HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO PERFORM HIS PRIESTLY DUTIES, AND CONTACT WITH A STRANGER WHO WAS BLEEDING AND MIGHT EVEN DIE WOULD DESTROY HIS RITUAL PURITY, AND HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO OFFER SACRIFICE, HE WOULD END UP DISAPPOINTING GOD. THE PRIEST HAD GOOD REASONS FOR WHAT HE DID. THE ROLE OF THE LEVITES IN THAT SOCIETY WAS TO LOOK AFTER THE WIDOWS AND ORPHANS. THEY USED SOME OF THE TEMPLE REVENUES FOR THIS SACRED DUTY. THE LEVITE WAS THINKING ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE HE HAD TO HELP; IF HE DIDN'T GET TO JERUSALEM SO THAT HE COULD GET HIS SHARE OF THE ALLOTED MONEY AND BRING IT BACK TO HIS VILLAGE, HE COULD THINK OF A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD GO HUNGRY. SO HE HURRIED BY. AND BOTH THE PRIEST AND THE LEVITE REMEMBERED STORIES ABOUT HOW BANDITS WOULD HAVE ONE OF THEIR CREW ACT LIKE HE HAD BEEN INJURED AND WHEN SOMEONE STOPPED TO HELP, THE BANDITS WOULD EMERGE FROM THEIR HIDING PLACES AND ROB THE PERSON WHO STOPPED TO HELP, OFTEN KILLING HIM. THAT MAY BE EXACTLY WHY THE INJURED MAN HAD BEEN SET UPON BY BANDITS. HE MAY HAVE STOPPED TO HELP.
THE SAMARITAN, WE REMEMBER, WAS ON BUSINESS HIMSELF, AND COULD HAVE USED ANY OF THOSE EXCUSES FOR NOT BEING A NEIGHBOR – BUT DIDN'T.
WE MIGHT NOT BE CAPABLE OF BECOMING THE KIND OF NEIGHBORS THAT JESUS CALLS US TO BE RIGHT NOW. BUT WE CAN SORT OUT WHAT KEEPS US FROM THAT GOAL. IS OUR EXCUSE THAT WE ARE DOING SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT AS THE PRIEST THOUGHT HE WAS DOING? WE DON'T USUALLY PUT OUR RELIGIOUS DUTIES OVER SOMETHING LIKE THIS, BUT MANY OF US ARE INVOLVED IN CAUSES WHICH WE THINK ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, AND THEY OCCUPY OUR THOUGHTS AND OUR TIMES, AND WE DON'T SEE OUR NEIGHBOR'S NEED. POLITICS, GLOBAL WARMING – YOU NAME THE CAUSE. IS OUR EXCUSE THAT WE ARE ALREADY GIVING? MANY OF US USE OUR MONEY AND OUR TIME TO HELP A SOUP KITCHEN, A SHELTER, A MISSION SOCIETY; OUR ALMA MATER. AND WE DON'T SEE OUR NEIGHBOR'S NEED. AND OF COURSE MANY OF US FEAR GETTING INVOLVED ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, ESPECIALLY WHEN OUR NEIGHBOR IS ANNOYING, DIRTY, A LITTLE INSANE; AND WE LOOK AWAY.
AND MAYBE WE'VE TRIED TO HELP BEFORE, AND SOMETHING BAD HAS COME OF IT. THERE IS THAT OLD SAYING THAT NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED. WE MIGHT IDENTIFY WITH THE POOR MAN WHO MAY HAVE STOPPED TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE AND WAS BEATEN AND ROBBED AND LEFT FOR DEAD.
TODAY WE SHOULD LEAVE OUR CHURCH, NOT THINKING ABOUT OUR FAILINGS AS A NEIGHBOR; VERY FEW OF US ARE PERFECT NEIGHBORS. INSTEAD WE SHOULD ASK HOW WE ARE LIKE THE PRIEST AND THE LEVITE – NOT EVIL MEN, BUT GOOD MEN – WHO HAVE GOOD REASONS FOR PASSING THE NEIGHBOR. AND THEN WE NEED TO PRAY THAT JESUS WILL SHARPEN OUR VISION SO THAT WITHOUT NEGLECTING THE GOOD THINGS WE DO, THE GOOD CAUSES WE SUPPORT, THE CHARITIES IN WHICH WE INVEST, WE SEE OUR NEIGHBOR WITH A COMPASSIONATE HEART, AND REALIZE THAT NOTHING IS SO IMPORTANT AS THAT MOMENT. AND MAY GOD SHARPEN OUR VISION EVEN FURTHER SO THAT WE RECOGNIZE WHO IS THERE AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BEATEN AND ROBBED AND LEFT FOR DEAD. AND SEE THAT THE PERSON IS JESUS CHRIST.