A Neighbourly Response

A Reflection on the Gospel for July 14th, 2019:
​Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

​Luke 10.25-37

A lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus said to him, “What is written in the Law? What do you read there?” The lawyer answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.”

And Jesus said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, the lawyer asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”

Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

“But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

“The next day the Samaritan took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’”

Jesus asked, “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” The lawyer said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

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Many of us are familiar with the parable of the good Samaritan without actually knowing the context of who the Samaritans were in relationship to the Jewish people. My memory of this parable as a child, was that the “good Samaritan” meant a “helpful person”. In actual fact, the Samaritans were a group of people that were half-Jew and half-Gentile and had their own religion.


The desire to help the man dying on the side of the road was not a reflection of who he was in society, but rather a reflection of how we are called to treat every person we interact with. Similarly, when we read in the Bible about the Samaritan woman who approached Jesus at the well, we see Him treat her with compassion despite their different religions and social status.


We are called to be good Samaritans in little ways as much as we are in big ways. There is no unit of measurement to quantify the grade of our response of love to a neighbour. Instead, Jesus says to love your neighbour as yourself. We are offered opportunities on a daily basis to be a good Samaritan towards others. In fact, I think that’s how we grow in faith and in relationship with Jesus—when we begin to see His face in those with whom we interact. That is how we begin to take on a Christ-centered life.

"I think that’s how we grow in faith and in relationship with Jesus—when we begin to see His face in those with whom we interact."

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While sharing a meal with a group of young families, I witnessed a friend offer to get water for a group of us while we sat enjoying our meal. Later on, he offered to take our plates. In this situation no one was looking for help, but he took it upon himself to offer help anyway. It was a kind gesture that wasn’t required or expected but so nice to receive. As I witnessed it take place, I thought about how even this is an act of a good Samaritan. It was an expression of kindness toward others.


“And who is my neighbour?” We are all interconnected in this life and how we treat others matters. It’s much easier to help those around us when it is convenient for us. The challenge God calls us to, is also being of service to others when it might be an inconvenience to us—when it might require setting our own plans aside or putting our own plans on hold.


Let us pray:
That God will open our eyes to see those around us who are in need of help, friendship, or even just an ear to listen. May we become more in tune with how the Holy Spirit wants to use us to be a good Samaritan to those around us. And may we grow to give up more of our selfish ways and in doing so grow in our desire to be of service to others.


​Tammy LeBlanc

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