Fresh Dew Media

 15^TH SUNDAY, YEAR C: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: THE DANGER OF PASSING BY

(Luke 10:25-37)

The Gospel of today continued from where that of last Sunday stopped. Last Sunday, Jesus told His disciples how fortunate they were to have heard the many things they heard and to have seen what they saw for many longed to but couldn't. As if the lawyer of today's Gospel was among those who wished to have heard, he stepped forward to Jesus with a question. He became interested in the new teacher. He wanted to test Jesus.

What do I do?

This is a question asked by someone in confusion who wants to know the right or best way to follow. Jesus could have overlooked this young man because he really knew the answer to his question. But Jesus, knowing the danger of passing by, didn't overlook him. Unlike the other places in the Bible where this question was genuinely asked, today's case is a different scenario altogether. After the preaching of John the Baptist, the question came up. Following the teaching of st Peter on Pentecost, the question was asked by his audience. The same question was still asked in the Philippian jail. These others asked to know, to be shown, to be better and to change. They were not asking to justify themselves or to be given reasons to pass by.

This lawyer's intent was not what it should be, but Jesus paid attention to him.

 

The lawyer and the lawgiver

Having put the question to Him, Jesus, the lawgiver, replies by putting it back to him. What is written in the law?

He answered by reciting part of the shema:

"Hear, oh Israel... you must love the Lord your God (Deut 6:5), Love of neighbour as oneself (Lev. 19:18)."

From the caveat " Your neighbour" he asks: who is my neighbour?

He was not asking to know what he didn't know, but to find reasons of limiting his neighbours. He needed more reasons to pass by. Jesus led him through a story, leaving him to find the correct information he needed by himself.

 

Those who passed by

We sing in Igbo "agabialamo mgbe I na-eje, mgbe I na ala", "Mgbe I na agaghari na eme mma", and in English: pass me not, oh gentle Saviour.

We fail daily to respond to those in need of our stopping over. But we make God stop for us. We don't seem to care about doing for those around us what we will like the God above us do for us. The priest passed by, followed by the levite. They may have done what they did for some ritualistic reasons. They considered the danger of not performing their rites as priests than the danger of seeing the only neighbour they had along that dangerous route who needed their help. They considered being attacked, being blackmailed for touching, being accused of killing the man, and not enjoying their rest. For these, they passed by. Passing by is passing away from the love of God. Do not pass by anyone in danger.

 

Our excuses to pass by

We've got excuses not to be helpful. In the villages, we do not want them to kill us and we allow the poor widow to die of malaria, we do not want our fuel tank to run dry against tomorrow's work we leave the pregnant poor woman to die of labour. 'It doesn't concern me' is a dangerous attitude to life. (I don't care 'wu onye oruberela'). We should have feelings for our neighbours.

 

Am I involved?

Odumegwu Ojukwu, the leader of Biafra, is known for the dictum: "because I am involved." Being involved or not has become the measure of many things in our society today. Because our leaders are not involved, our poor masses are passed by unnoticed. Our schools are passed by dilapidated because our leaders' wards are not in them. Our hospitals are left because our leaders have foreign health insurance abroad. Our roads are abandoned because our leaders use helicopters. The poor man's child languishes in jail after committing the same crime with the freed governor's child. The Christians suffer because a Christian is not the president. People are massacred daily, and a leader of a nation pretends not to be aware. Indifference is all we get from political officers, while the poor masses suffer as a result of terrorism and insecurity.

But when an epidemic that knows no great or small comes like the Ebola or Covid19, everyone gets involved. It is unfortunate!

 

Then the Samaritan came by

Here is the answer to the question: Who is my neighbour? The one who did not pass by is the true neighbour. The Samaritan did not pass by. His good deeds can not be passed by not even by the lawyer in his prejudice. He at least admitted, even though he avoided mentioning his Samaritan origin.

Take a look at what the Samaritan did:

He came to where he was

(He did not stay far away to take pictures for Facebook upload)

He felt compassion for him

(Did not just stop at saying eiyaaa and continue typing on WhatsApp)

Bound up his wounds and carried him to an inn, took care of him, and spent on him without reservation. This is inspirational!

 

Go and do the same

The argument winner stood dumbfounded. And Jesus charged him to go. Go and don't pass by again.

You're given to give. You're alive to make others live. You're standing that others may rise. Help them up.

You may be next in same situation tomorrow. Do as you would want done to you.

 

BLESSINGS

May you be blessed with good caring neighbours as you endeavour to be a good neighbour yourself.

May God not pass you by as you stop by for others.

Happy Sunday to you.

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh