YOU HAVE ANSWERED CORRECTLY; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE

Gal 1,6-12; Ps 110; Lk 10,25-37
8 OCTOBER

Life is not in the study of the law and not even in its teaching. Life is in the choice of the Law as the one and only principle of action and thought. We can summarize all the Old Testament in the words spoken by God to the children of Israel.

“Here, then, I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom. If you obey the commandments of the Lord, your God, which I enjoin on you today, loving him, and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees, you will live and grow numerous, and the Lord, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy. If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen, but are led astray and adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will certainly perish; you will not have a long life on the land which you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy. I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land which the Lord swore he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” (Dt 30,15-20).

The same truth is announced by the Apostle James to the disciples of Jesus. They must never become just listeners of the Word, deceiving themselves.

Know this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of a man does not accomplish the righteousness of God. Therefore, put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does (Jm 1,19-25).

The doctor of the Law knows the two commandments of love or charity. Now he also knows that next is every needy man before his eyes. If he wants life, he must only observe what the Lord has commanded him. The Word of God must be known to be observed. He must see every man as his true neighbour. He will have to love and serve him as he loves and serves himself.

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.” He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbour to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

In the parable of Jesus two essential truths are revealed: next is every man, even if he is an enemy and a persecutor. Faced with an urgent need of the neighbour, all ritual laws fall. Next to Jesus is every sinner. They are also his persecutors and executioners. For the former he expiates sins, for the latter he also asks for forgiveness.

Mother of mercy, Angels and Saints ensure that every man is next to every man.