Gospel Delights!

Monday, October 9, 2023

Jon 1:1-2:1-2,11; Lk 10:25-37

Love of God and love of neighbor are two sides of the same coin for Christianity. 

One reinforces the other. One completes the other.

Hence, love of God would mean doing whatever is possible to promote humanity. 

Likewise, love of neighbor would mean to make the Good Lord known. 

If so, our neighborliness is a visible indicator for others to understand the invisible God. 

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is unique in the way it weaves the love of God and the love of neighbor perfectly together. The Good Samaritan becomes the agent who accomplishes this feat. 

Jesus invites us to look at the irony in the story. The Priest and the Levite are known to be religious. They know and serve God. But they fail to show God. By failing in their humanity, they fail God.

Whereas the Samaritan who is supposed to be a gentile and pagan, demonstrates what it means to be godly. He shows what the ‘Divine’ would look like in action or practice. He gives form and shape to the love of God through his love for the needy neighbor.

The danger is that we can declare ourselves to be Christians and godly. Yet, we may still fail to obscure God, just as the priest and the Levite do. 

If we have God in us, then it will manifest itself in our actions. If we excel in our humanity, it is equivalent to evangelizing God. 

Do we illuminate or obscure God?

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar