#TomorrowIsSunday (EN+ES) | Our neighbour – a stranger, someone we do not know?

Fr. Paweł Rytel-Andrianik / 09.07.2022

The road between Jericho and Jerusalem, Photo credit: Sr. Amata CSFN

15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C

Sunday, July 10, 2022

Gospel of Luke 10:25-37

EN: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071022.cfm

You can download the commentary on the Gospel and beautiful photos:

https://www.academia.edu/82833435/Our_neighbour_a_stranger_someone_we_do_not_know?source=swp_share

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XV Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario, Año C

Domingo, 10 de julio de 2022

Evangelio de San Lucas 10,25-37

ES: https://bible.usccb.org/es/bible/lecturas/071022.cfm

1. Jesus teaches us that a stranger is our neighbour

Who is my neighbour, Jesus was asked by a scholar of the law immediately after the Teacher told him about the commandment of loving God and his neighbour as himself. Jesus’ words came as a shock. He explicitly told the scholar that a complete stranger, a Samaritan, is his neighbour. We need to know that in the mentality of the Jews, Samaritans were so foreign to them that the Talmud reads: “a piece of bread given by a Samaritan is more unclean than swine’s flesh”, a symbol of impure food (Shevi’it tractate 8,10).

2. Key words

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.

The road from Jerusalem, which is located around 800 m above sea level, to Jericho, around 250 m below sea level, is very dangerous. The route of nearly 30 kilometres between the two towns runs through rocky terrain, full of caves, some occupied by robbers. Still, this was the shortest way to reach Jericho.

A priest descended downhill (Greek katabaino) after his service in the temple, on the way home. A Levite “went out of his way” to pass him “on the opposite side” of the road (Greek antiparerchomai). Both presumably wanted to avoid ritual impurity through contact with the dead for whom they may have mistaken the lying man. Unfortunately, ritualism was placed above mercy.

But a Samaritan traveler 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.’

A Samaritan is one of those whom we can least expect of being helpful. He is a representative of the nation commented on by St. John the Evangelist: “the Jews and the Samaritans avoided one another.” Why did he offer a helping hand? The Gospel author says he “was moved with compassion” (Greek splanchnizomai), which means not so much an emotional reaction as profound commiseration at the sight of someone’s misery. The Samaritan’s attitude of mercy is very practical. He offered two silver coins, which was equal to three weeks of accommodation, as suggested daily accommodation was about one-twelfth of a silver coin. Mercy was shown to trump the animosity between nations. A Samaritan, a person so foreign and distant, was shown to be a neighbour.

3. Today

“Go and do likewise!” – says Jesus at the end of His parable. If we take Jesus’ words to heart, our practical mercy may help others, or even save lives. Who will I help today?

1. Jesús enseña que mi prójimo es alguien muy lejano

¿Y quién es mi prójimo? – preguntó el estudioso de la ley a Jesús justo después de que éste hablara del mandamiento de Dios y del amor al prójimo como a ti mismo. Jesús lo sorprendió. Dijo que un prójimo es también uno que está lejos: un samaritano. Y en la mentalidad de los judíos, los samaritanos estaban tan lejos de los judíos que en el Talmud está escrito: “un trozo de pan dado por un samaritano es más impuro que la carne de cerdo”, que al fin y al cabo es un símbolo de comida impura (tratado Shevi’it 8,10).

2. Palabras clave

«Un hombre que bajaba por el camino de Jerusalén a Jericó, cayó en manos de unos ladrones, los cuales lo robaron, lo hirieron y lo dejaron medio muerto. Sucedió que por el mismo camino bajaba un sacerdote, el cual lo vio y pasó de largo. De igual modo, un levita que pasó por ahí, lo vio y siguió adelante.»

El camino desde Jerusalén, situado a unos 800 m. sobre el nivel del mar, hasta Jericó, situado a unos 250 m. por debajo el nivel del mar es muy peligroso. Casi 30 km. de esta carretera atraviesan un terreno rocoso, lleno de cuevas, donde se alojaban los ladrones. Sin embargo, era el camino más corto hacia Jericó.

Un sacerdote bajaba (gr. katabaino) a su casa después del servicio en el templo. El levita lo rodeó, literalmente ‘cruzó al otro lado del camino’ (gr. antiparerchomai). Es de suponer que ambos no querían cometer un acto de impureza ritual a través del contacto con un muerto, como podrían haber considerado al hombre que estaba tumbado en el camino. Desgraciadamente, el ritual se situó por encima de la misericordia.

«Pero un samaritano que iba de viaje, al verlo, se compadeció de él, se le acercó, ungió sus heridas con aceite y vino y se las vendó; luego lo puso sobre su cabalgadura, lo llevó a un mesón y cuidó de él. Al día siguiente sacó dos denarios, se los dio al dueño del mesón y le dijo: ‘Cuida de él y lo que gastes de más, te lo pagaré a mi regreso.»

Una de las últimas personas de las que cabría esperar ayuda es un samaritano, representante del pueblo del que San Juan Evangelista escribe que “judíos y samaritanos se evitaban”. ¿Por qué ayudó? El evangelista escribe que se conmovió (gr. splanchnizomai), lo que significa no tanto conmoverse emocionalmente, sino conmoverse interiormente al ver la desgracia o la miseria de alguien. Su actitud de misericordia es concreta. Dio dos denarios, el pago por más de tres semanas de estancia, porque la cuota diaria sugerida era de una doceava parte de un denario. La misericordia se situó por encima del resentimiento entre naciones. El samaritano resultó ser un prójimo, aunque se le consideraba como alguien muy lejano y un extranjero.

3 Hoy

«Anda y haz tú lo mismo.» – dice Jesús al final de la parábola. Si nos tomamos a pecho las palabras de Jesús, nuestra actitud concreta puede ayudar mucho a alguien e incluso salvar una vida. ¿A quién puedo ayudar hoy?

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