We ask God a lot of questions that begin with the word “Why.” But notice that the Scholar in today’s Gospel asks his question beginning with the word WHAT. "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responds as a good teacher should, offering a leading question towards an answer that the Scholar already knows to be true. The tactic, if you will, is to get the Scholar to apply his knowledge in a deeper way… The readings offer us the same simple exercise: One question, leads to another, which leads to a new way of applying the Good News that we already know to be true!
Moses offers us the foundation of why Christ responds the way he does, here it is again (DT 30: 10-14): “If only you would heed the voice of the LORD… 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 yoou 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.”
This faith of ours is not as complicated as we'd like it to be. Let's face it... If it were, we might be able to add more credence to phrases like, "I'm not good enough," or "I don't think I understand." But the fact is, ITS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE! You have been chosen because the Lord knows that you can achieve goodness and understanding. Like Moses said, its not too far out of your reach, nor does it require a journey eastward across the sea. The Good News of God's love is that it is here in our midst. All you have to do is carry it out!
So, like the Scholar who approaches Jesus in Luke's Gospel (Luke 10: 25-37), I’ll bet you’re feeling that same question stirring in your heart… “What must I do?” Well… Christ is with us in the Mass… He’s with us as we gather, as we listen to his Word, as we offer our sacrifice, and receive him in Holy Communion, and as we are sent forth to share this Good News with those we serve in our every day lives! Stating the obvious, the Scholar was smart. He approached the Lord with a desire to learn and understand. How are you approaching him today, here at Mass? Are you here to grow and learn? Are you here to celebrate the blessings of another great summer weekend? Are you here to work out your feelings and opinions on what needs to happen in our world? Are you here to focus on GOD in our midst and listen? While I’m convinced that its probably a mixture of all of the above… Can we approach the Lord today and be ready for his response?
Listen again to the Lord and consider what he asked the Scholar: “What is written in the law?” How would you respond, especially after this past week? Shall we love the Lord, our God, with all our heart, with all our being, with all our strength, and with all our minds? Do you agree that we should love our neighbor as ourselves? How would you reply today? If the answer is yes, then Christ tells us to "Do this and you will live.”
OK, then let’s dare to follow the lead of our scholar, and dare to ask the follow up question… Who is our neighbor? The Gospel tells us that our neighbor is the one in need, and encourages us not to pass them by, treating them with mercy! But let’s play out the real hesitations, and the reality that we do pass them by quite often!
Today, we might walk by asking, what if I set a dangerous precedent, where will I draw the line? If I give him money, then I have to give to them all. When will it stop?
Or maybe we walk by with a dedication to a philosophy, or a personal opinion that helping him is not enough, stating that we need systemic change, as worrying about this one person does not address the larger issue! ... And then man created the committee.
Finally, many of us do indeed stop to help. We've all experienced the heart tug that spurs us to immediate action. The Good Samaritan in us all have responded, and have done so well... 9/11, the tornado outbreaks, those who are sick, and families in our community that have experienced loss and the grief that follows.
Maybe the better question that the scholar did not ask would be "TWO WHOM CAN I BE A NEIGHBOR?" Identifying the neighbor is one thing, but whom will you stop and help? Are you selective in sharing God's love and mercy with others? It would seem that today, Christ would ask us to help the first poor person you meet on the road... Jesus responds to the lawyer’s question with a parable that illustrates how keeping the law isn’t a matter of focusing on details regarding right or wrong or personal gain, but is a matter of right relationships with one’s neighbor as exhibited by acting with compassion and mercy. The Samaritan in the parable isn’t moved to help the stricken traveler because of the law but because he was a person of compassion and mercy. This is the law written within our hearts—not details about keeping specific laws but a general regard for the other that arises out of genuine care for the other. (St. Vincent de Paul Reflections July 10, 2016 - Living Liturgy, p.172)
The Good News today is that all of this is quite simple. It’s simply a matter of the heart! So when you come upon a neighbor in need, or a stranger for that matter, STOP THINKING of reasons why it might not fit into your comfort zone and help them with their need! STOP THINKING of whether you're qualified or don’t have the expertise to solve their problem! STOP THINKING of who would be a better person to handle this. If Christ is truly, as Paul writes (COL 1: 15-20), present in all things visible and invisible, He is most certainly with you as you show mercy to others, for “he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” STOP THINKING and love the Lord your God and your neighbor with all your heart, with all your strength, and with all your mind!
I think its fair to add a sense of urgency to the Gospel... You have only to carry it out, so BEGIN NOW!!!!
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