Friday, January 20, 2012

heart of discipleship

Good morning sisters and brothers,
In today's reading a lawyer asks Jesus what the most important thing about following God is. Jesus turns the question around on him and gets the correct answer: love God with all your heart and mind and soul and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. When the lawyer wants to explore the limits of what it means to be a neighbor Jesus tells the familiar story of the good Samaritan. The truth is that everyone is our neighbor, so we are called to love everyone we come across as we love ourselves. That's quite a challenge, but when we look at Jesus life we see him doing just that. So our word for today is, "Go and do likewise."

God bless,

Sam




Luke 10:25-37
25Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 27He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” 29But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’

36Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

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