July 14, 2013: 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time C

This week, our social responsibility coordinator and I sat across from folks who came in for assistance with utilities and food. As I listened to each story, I could not resist wondering how much of their story was true. Perhaps my attitude was similar to that of the priest and the Levite in today’s Gospel. The priest and the Levite probably asked themselves, ‘Did the man really need the help or was he faking it?’ It was safer and perhaps less troublesome to look the other way than risk finding out.

One young lady we talked to said her trailer partially burned in a fire, and she asked for a small window air conditioning unit that would cool her living room. She said five persons lived in the trailer. Later in the afternoon, I delivered the window unit to the trailer.  Outside, I saw their fire damaged refrigerator and partially burnt couch. Inside, I saw the charred living room wall where the fire started. The ceiling also showed fire damage. Her story turned out to be true, and she did need the help.

Jesus told a dramatic story in today’s gospel in response to a devout Jew who wanted to understand how to apply God's great commandment of love to his everyday life circumstances. In so many words this religious-minded Jew said: "I want to love God as best as I can and I want to love my neighbor as well. But how do I know that I am fulfilling my duty to love my neighbor as myself?" The real issue for this believer was the correct definition of who is "my neighbor".  He understood "neighbor" to mean a fellow Jew. Jesus challenged him to see that God's view of neighbor went far beyond his narrow definition.

Jesus told a parable to show how wide God's love and mercy is towards every fellow human being. Jesus' story of a brutal highway robbery was all too familiar to his audience. We, too, are familiar with violent robbery, for we are bombarded with such terrible stories on the 5 O’Clock news every day.

Why didn't the priest and Levite stop to help? For the priest, his piety got in the way of charity. For the Levite, his personal safety came ahead of saving his neighbor. So what does Jesus' story tell us about true love for one's neighbor? First, we must be willing to help even if others brought trouble on themselves through their own fault or negligence. Second, our love and concern to help others in need must be practical. Good intentions and showing pity, or empathizing with others, are not enough. And lastly, our love for others must be as wide and as inclusive as God's love. God excludes no one from his care and concern. God's love is unconditional. So we must be ready to do good to others for their sake, just as God is good to us. Jesus not only taught God's way of love, but he showed how far God was willing to go to share in our suffering and to restore us to wholeness of life and happiness.

Mother Teresa puts all this into one simple sentence: “Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.” The next time we encounter a person that we’d rather step away from, let Mother Teresa say to you, “Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.”