Hearing The Word

A weekly newsletter delivering context and insight into the Sunday Gospels.

Compassion and Mercy: the Pathway to Salvation

~ Rev. Andrew J. Auletta

Saint Joseph Parish + Downingtown, Pa.

In today’s Gospel reading, we see Jesus facing yet another encounter with a “scholar of the law.”  The interactions between Jesus and the scholars were rarely cordial (see Lk 7:30; 11:45-47; 12:1) and were often characterized by Jesus fiercely preaching the truth to a group hardened against Him. The beginning of this passage sets the stage for another confrontation, as the scholar seeks to test Jesus by asking, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Surprisingly, what unfolds between them is a moment of genuine receptivity. When Jesus asks for the scholar’s interpretation, he quickly turns to one of the most prominent prayers in the Jewish tradition: the Shema. Prescribed in Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 and recited by the Israelites twice daily, once in the morning and again in the evening, the Shema speaks of loving God above all else and loving our neighbor in return.  While the Scholar may have felt vindicated upon hearing Jesus’ approval of his answer, the essence of this Gospel passage is in Jesus’ command to go and do likewise.  It is one thing to know the truth, but putting it into action is another matter entirely.

The parable of the Good Samaritan is meant to shock the scholar, and by extension, all of us, when the most unlikely figure, a Samaritan, shows mercy, unlike those from whom it would normally be expected – the priest and the Levite. The experience of compassion, which motivates the Samaritan’s merciful action, becomes the pathway to salvation.  Jesus’ command to “go and do likewise” testifies that knowledge of mercy and compassion is not enough to inherit eternal life. We must act.  When we show mercy and compassion toward our neighbor, we honor and glorify God.       



The R-5 Samaritan



~ Anonymous

Years ago, a good Samaritan helped me as I was standing in line to get off the train.  I had an infant in my arm, a toddler by the hand, and a folded stroller in tow.  A seated passenger, fearing that I would trip, kindly warned me that my shoe was untied. A second man said nothing, but he knelt down and tied the shoe.  He trusted that I could handle the baby, the toddler and the equipment, but no way could I tie the shoe.

The good Samaritan is a New Testament hero for what he did. But we can also learn from what he didn’t do: He didn’t stop his journey longer than it took to make sure the man was helped.  He gave not his entire fortune, but a couple of coins.  He acted not out of duty but out of compassion. And then he got on with his responsibilities, trusting the victim to another. 

The Samaritan was part of the solution, not all of it, and he helped without becoming paralyzed by needs bigger than what he could responsibly address.

When I see a need that falls within what I understand as my area of responsibility, I respond well and fully. Where I can’t see myself responding fully and well, I tend to steer clear, wary of being overwhelmed by the magnitude of help the situation seems to require. Being aware of my limitations is a good thing, but it can make me feel like I fall short as a Christian.

Maybe there’s a lesson here today: The world can seem like one big mess of huge, unmet needs.  Rather than feeling a failure for the things that we don’t or can’t do, maybe God wants us to take heart in the fact that, every now and then, we have the privilege of being – metaphorically speaking – in the right place and time to see an untied shoe.  And that all He’s asking right then is that we bend down and tie it.