The Gospel for THURSDAY, May 12, 2005
Luke 10:25-37
And now a lawyer stood up and, to test him, asked, ‘Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? What is your reading of it?’ 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.’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have answered right, do this and life is yours.’ But the man was anxious to justify himself and said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ In answer Jesus said, ‘A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of bandits; they stripped him, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead. Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan traveller who came on him was moved with compassion when he saw him. He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him onto his own mount and took him to an inn and looked after him. Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper and said, “Look after him, and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have.” Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the bandits’ hands?’ He replied, ‘The one who showed pity towards him.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go, and do the same yourself.’ -- The New Jerusalem Bible. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1995, c1985
Plunder
We watch as nations are left in the ditch while we ride by with the windows up to avoid the stench. Why would people in Arabia hate us? We use the resources of their countries in wasteful ways while their rulers live in homes with gold-plated faucets and they have no running water.
A Reflection
We are required to forgive the priest and the Levite. Their temple duties were important to Israel the machine, and they were part of the machine. That meant that they could not become impure and remove themselves for a time from being able to act in their appointed capacities.
But should YHWH forgive Israel and her Temple machine? We are not qualified to advise YHWH, but we suspect that the Son and the Father, of one mind, had decided that the machine was out of control. Priests and priests' assistants, instead of lifting up Israel to YHWH, instead trampled Israel in support of the machine.
Jesus, in repeating Hillel's summary of the Law, confirms what the wise rabbis knew about humans' relationships with the Father, that we are not bound except by what Jesus acted out: love neighbor, love God.
Jesus did add to the "love neighbor" index, however. He told us to love one another as He loves us. Now that is a challenge.
A Collect
Almighty God, your commands are the music for the banquet and the dance; show us the way to save ourselves from our own desires so that we may serve our neighbors as your son did for us. Amen
9:19:45 PM 
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