Fresh Dew Media

 15^th Sunday, Year C: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: Who is my neighbour?

Readings: Deut. 30: 10-14; Col. 1:15-20; Lk 10:25-37

In every religion and culture, there exists a doctrine that advocates for the love of one’s neighbour. This doctrine invariably waters the soil for the application of the golden rule: treat others as you wish to be treated. Nevertheless, it seems that the teaching of ‘who qualifies as one’s neighbour’ is often misinterpreted across various religions and cultures. For instance, within Judaism, Samaritans are not regarded as neighbours and, consequently, are not to be treated with love; for the Essenes of the Qumran community, neighbours are exclusively those who share their religious beliefs; for the Zealots, neighbours are solely those who share their nationality and ethnicity; for some Muslims, Christians are not considered neighbours but rather infidels; and even for many of us, when we hear the term neighbour, we often think of our relatives, those residing nearby, or our colleagues at school or work. While it is accurate that all the people I have mentioned (our relatives, colleagues, and those living in proximity to us, etc.) are indeed our neighbours, it would be inadequate if these individuals were the only neighbours we acknowledged.

Consequently, in today's gospel, Jesus uses His response to the question posed by the teacher of the law to tell what has been lacking in the teaching of 'who one's neighbour is' as interpreted by various religions and cultures. Indeed, He articulates what the understanding of 'who my neighbour is' ought to be within Christianity; His reply signifies a transformative shift from the traditional perception of who a neighbour is or should be.

Let us examine the context of the narrative in the parable presented in today's gospel to extract the first lesson that Jesus is giving us. The parable said that the man who fell into the hands of robbers was travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho. Dear friends, the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was a lonely one during the time of Christ. It was very rocky with sudden turns that made it easy for criminals to operate successfully. Thus, it was recommended that anyone making a journey on that road should travel with escorts to avoid being attacked by robbers. However, the victim in today's parable chose to travel alone; that was why he fell into the hands of robbers. Therefore, it can be said he was not careful about his own safety.

Although it could be said that the man acted carelessly regarding his safety and consequently invited trouble upon himself, Jesus requested that he should be helped. What lesson can we derive from the position of Jesus? It teaches us that we must extend our helping hands even to those who are responsible for their own misfortunes. Thus, Christians should not deny help to those who are the cause of their own downfalls. We should not say, “Leave him to die because we warned him, and he refused to listen to us.”

In the gospel of today, rather than identifying the individuals surrounding him as the neighbours of that teacher of the law who sought to understand the definition of a neighbour, Jesus chose to tell the story of a man in need of help. The implication of Jesus's message is that the neighbours of Christians include those who are in need of help, even if they caused their own problems. In fact, such people are our true neighbours; they deserve our help.

Therefore, dear friends, who is our neighbour? Our neighbours are not only those who share our nationality, those who share the same race with us, those residing near us, our relatives, our fellow Christians, and our colleagues in school or workplaces, but they also include those in need of help: those wounded by poverty, those wounded by hunger, those afflicted by ignorance, those harmed by toxic relationships, those struggling with unemployment, those affected by corrupt government systems, those who have been wounded by cultural practices, etc.  Anyone in need of help is the neighbour to a Christian; that person is your neighbour, regardless of their family background, religion, culture, or nationality, for Jesus has united us.

The Samaritan in the parable of today broke down the racial barriers that separated Jews and Samaritans. He recognized that anyone in need of help is his brother, sister, and neighbour, irrespective of their origin. Therefore, dear friends, let us go to the streets and the highways this week and treat those in need as our neighbours through our acts of kindness.

As we engage in this activity, it is essential to keep in mind that one does not need to be excessively wealthy – financially stable – in order to assist those who are less fortunate. Some people claim that they lack sufficient funds for their own needs, and thus, they feel unable to extend help to others. In today's gospel, the Samaritan did not possess enough money at the time, yet his financial limitations did not hinder him from aiding the man in distress; instead, he transported the injured man to a location where he could receive proper care, then he deposited the little money he had and promised to cover any remaining costs later. This is love and charity for one’s neighbour in action. Let us emulate this example as we encounter the needy on the streets this week.

Peace be with you. Have a blessed new week

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima