Commission of the Seventy (Luke 10:1-20)
1
After this the Lord appointed seventy (-two) others whom he sent ahead
of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.
2 He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.
3 Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
4 Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.
5 Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.'
6 If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.
7 Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another.
8 Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you,
9 cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'
10 Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say,
11 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.
12 I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.
13 Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.
15 And as for you, Capernaum, 'Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.'"
16 Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."
17 The seventy (-two) returned rejoicing, and said, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."
18 Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
19 Behold, I have given you the power 'to tread upon serpents' and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.
20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."
The seventy disciples or seventy-two disciples (known in the Eastern Christian tradition as the Seventy Apostles) were early students of Jesus. According to Luke, the only gospel in which they appear, Jesus appointed them and sent them out in pairs on a specific mission which is detailed in the text. In Western Christianity, they are usually referred to as disciples, whereas in Eastern Christianity they are usually referred to as Apostles. Many of the names included among the seventy are recognizable for their other achievements.
The word "Apostle", from the Greek apostello "to send forth", "to dispatch", has etymologically a very general sense. Apostolos (Apostle) means one who is sent forth, dispatched--in other words, who is entrusted with a mission, rather, a foreign mission. It has, however, a stronger sense than the word messenger, and means as much as a delegate. A "disciple" is a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or any other wise person. Someone who accepts and helps in spreading the teachings of another or simply put one who learns any art or science.
comments by Msgr. Joseph Prior, priest of St. John the Evangelist Parish, Morrisville:
Jesus sends forth 72 disciples to continue His mission. These 72 disciples represent the missionary activity of the Church and the followers of Jesus. The sending forth recounted in this passage is a “trial run” for the disciples. After the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord their preparation will be complete and they will be readied to fulfill their role of spreading the Gospel and inviting others to faith.
Jesus sends the disciples forward to visit places that He intends to visit. The role of these missionary disciples is to prepare for Jesus’ expected coming. Jesus is asking them to prepare the peoples they meet for His arrival. He tells them that the “harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
The saying reminds the disciples, as they are beginning their mission, that it is a large undertaking. The vast multitudes of peoples who they will encounter are in need of attention and care. The disciples will be doing the work of the harvest master and there will always be the need for more assistance.
Prayer needs to be at the center of this important work. The disciples need to realize that they are on mission not for themselves nor are they empowered by themselves but they are at the service of the harvest master. Therefore they should pray to the harvest master for more workers in the vineyard. These “workers” will be like them; disciples of the Lord, for the mission is the responsibility of all disciples.
Jesus warns His disciples about the situation they are facing as they go forth. “Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.” The disciples are going into a world where their message will be under attack. They will face opposition and rejection (just like the Lord). Jesus warns them so they are aware. He does not want them to be discouraged in the face of rejection or opposition.
Jesus then gives the instructions for the mission. First, he tells them to be determined and focused as they go forth. “Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.” They are to proceed in haste. They are not to take anything on the mission that will impede them or cause delay. They are to avoid anything that will distract them from the mission at hand.
Second, they are to proclaim and offer peace. The instruction reminds us of Jesus’ greetings after His resurrection. In numerous resurrection accounts when Jesus appears to the apostles and disciples, He greets them with “Peace.” The peace that Jesus offers is one of unity. Through His passion, death and resurrection Jesus has restored the unity of man with God. Consequently peace has been established. The disciples will offer this peace to those whom they encounter.
Third, Jesus instructs the disciples to say put. He tells them not to move around from house to house but to stay at the same place and to rely on the hospitality of the hosts for their sustenance. The disciples are not to be distracted from the mission with undue movement. They stay in the same household building up the communion that is established. They will need stability in the relationships so that the seed of faith can take root and grow.
Fourth, Jesus tells them to cure the sick and to proclaim, “The kingdom of God is at hand for you.” The cure of the sick refers both to healing and restoration. Healing of the sick will come in many forms. At first read we might think of the healing of the body from physical ailments. Yet the healing that the disciples can offer goes much deeper than the physical.
The healing of mind, soul and spirit are accomplished when one encounters the love and mercy of God. The proclamation of the kingdom is an offer, an invitation to experience the love and mercy of God offered through Jesus. The disciples are ministers of the kingdom and through them the invitation is offered.
Fifth, the disciples are given instruction for how to handle rejection. When they are rejected by a town they are to say: “The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.” Jesus has already told the 72 that they will face rejection. Yet this rejection cannot stop the mission from moving forward. The proclamation of the kingdom is an invitation to faith, not an imposition. The disciples cannot force anyone to believe, they must do so freely.
At the same time, rejection bears consequences. If they reject the Kingdom, they reject the love and mercy offered. If they reject the love and mercy offered, they choose death over life. Hence Jesus can say, “I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.” However, for the disciples part, they are not to be distracted from the mission by rejection. They are to move forward with the proclamation.
When the disciples then come back sometime later amazed at the power of Jesus’ name Jesus tells them, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power to ‘tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” Though the disciples may encounter threats to life and the forces of evil, these things will have no ultimate power over the disciples because they are the Lord’s. So Jesus says, “rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
The mission of Jesus is continued in the life of the disciples. The mission is one of life and love, mercy and forgiveness. The rejoicing that accompanies the mission is one that will be experienced by many.
The joy is akin to that mentioned in the first reading from the Book of Isaiah. The abundance of life that accompanies the restoration of Jerusalem foreshadows the mission of Jesus. In this reading the restoration witnesses to the Lord’s power. In the Gospel Jesus is the witness to the Father’s power and the disciples are the witness to Jesus’ power. As they witness to His name and proclaim the Kingdom they lead others to rejoice in God’s goodness and love.
The mission of Jesus continues today. As disciples of Jesus and members of His Church we are called to share in the work of redemption. We are called to follow Jesus and to proclaim His Kingdom of love and peace. Like the 72 we too are called to go into a world where many have not yet experienced the power of Jesus’ love. We are called to go forth and to witness to this love.
Instead of going into unknown towns and villages, we go into our neighborhoods, into our work place, into our schools, into our swim clubs, into our shopping malls. Anywhere we encounter people is the place where the mission lies.
We go forward on this mission, like the 72, and witness our faith by the way we live, in what we say and do. In this proclamation of the Kingdom we invite others to experience the Lord’s peace and to be filled with great rejoicing in His love.
comments by Pope Benedict XVI (JN):
Only Luke tells us that Jesus formed a second group of disciples, which was composed of seventy (or seventy-two) and was sent out with a mission similar to that of the Twelve (cf. Lk 10:1–12). Like the number twelve, the number seventy (or seventy-two—the manuscripts variously report one or the other) is symbolic. Based on a combination of Deuteronomy 32:8 and Exodus 1:5, seventy was considered to be the number of the nations of the world. According to Exodus 1:5, seventy was the number of people who accompanied Jacob into Egypt; “they were all Jacob’s offspring.” A recent variant of Deuteronomy 32:8, which has become the generally received version, runs as follows: “When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of men, he fixed the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel”—this is a reference to the seventy members of the house of Jacob at the time of the emigration to Egypt. Alongside the twelve sons, who prefigure Israel, stand the seventy, who represent the whole world and are thus considered also to have some connection with Jacob, with Israel.
comments by Matthew Gill, Director at Catholic High School (linktoliturgy.com):
“I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.”
What does Jesus mean when He said that Satan fell like lightning from the sky? This is a reference to the Battle of Heaven. This battle is described in the Book of Revelation.
“Then a war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it.” (Revelation 12:7). The loss of Satan and all those who join him are anti-Christ in their rebellion against truth and good. This rebellious anti-Christ attitude is foretold in the book of Isaiah, and is seen in individuals, groups, or nations. All who are anti-Christ and rebel against the holy will of God are children of Satan, and like Satan fall from heaven and fall from grace. Isaiah says of the King of Babylon words that show that he is imitating Satan and as Satan fell, he will fall “How have you fallen from the heavens, O morning star, son of the dawn! How are you cut down to the ground, you who mowed down nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will scale the heavens; Above the stars of God I will set up my throne; I will take my seat on the Mount of Assembly, in the recesses of the North. I will ascent above the tops of the clouds; I will be like the Most High!’ Yet down to the nether world you go to the recesses of the pit!” Isaiah 14:12-15
Not only does Satan and those who follow Satan rebel against God but they also desire to “be like the Most High”. They do not wish to be like the Most High out of worship and love, but instead they want to be as powerful as God and in fact they want to be God. Many of the Roman Emperors and Caesars after Christ tried to claim they were a God, and swear not just allegiance, but also worship to them. Many Christians died for refusing to worship the emperors who portrayed themselves as kings and those who made their people worship false gods. Satan said to Eve in the garden, “God knows well that the moment you eat of it [the fruit] your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad.”Genesis 3:5. Satan always tempts us to rebel against God’s holy will. He tempts us to think that our will, is as good or greater than the holy will of God.
How does Satan tempt us today to rebel against God and even become a “god” our self? There are almost too many to write. Some examples include the redefinition of an institution (marriage) that God not only established but also defined. We make ourselves a “god” when we re-define marriage and attempt to re-establish it. We become a “god” when we take innocent lives out of convenience, hatred, preference, etc. We become a “god” when we are not open to life within marriage and dictate based on selfish reasons that a certain amount of children is enough. We become a “god” when we call the shots or make the rules on what we believe (doctrines), what we do and don’t do (morals) and how we worship (prayer and liturgy). In all of these examples we say to God, “My will be done” rather than “Thy will be done”.
What is the end, the outcome for a person that lives in rebellion against God? C.S. Lewis said the person who says their whole life “My will be done” will at their judgment get their own will, which is separation from the will of God and in deed separation from God Himself. These people will hear God say to them, “Thy will be done”. For the person who says their whole life “Thy will be done” as we pray in the Our Father, they will at their judgment get God’s will, which is union with the will of God and in deed union with God Himself. These people will hear God say to them, “My will be done”. Jesus says to His apostles at the Last Supper, “Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.” (John 12:31) Satan is the ruler of the world and is driven out by the Cross. It is in Christ our Victor that the anti-Christ rebellious nature of man is conquered.
In the Catechism:
391 Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy. Scripture and the Church's Tradition see in this being a fallen angel, called "Satan" or the "devil". The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: "The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing."
392 Scripture speaks of a sin of these angels. This "fall" consists in the free choice of these created spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected God and his reign. We find a reflection of that rebellion in the tempter's words to our first parents: "You will be like God." The devil "has sinned from the beginning"; he is "a liar and the father of lies".
393 It is the irrevocable character of their choice, and not a defect in the infinite divine mercy, that makes the angels' sin unforgivable. "There is no repentance for the angels after their fall, just as there is no repentance for men after death."
394 Scripture witnesses to the disastrous influence of the one Jesus calls "a murderer from the beginning", who would even try to divert Jesus from the mission received from his Father."The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." In its consequences the gravest of these works was the mendacious seduction that led man to disobey God.
395 The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite. He is only a creature, powerful from the fact that he is pure spirit, but still a creature. He cannot prevent the building up of God's reign. Although Satan may act in the world out of hatred for God and his kingdom in Christ Jesus, and although his action may cause grave injuries - of a spiritual nature and, indirectly, even of a physical nature - to each man and to society, the action is permitted by divine providence which with strength and gentleness guides human and cosmic history. It is a great mystery that providence should permit diabolical activity, but "we know that in everything God works for good with those who love him."
[Catholics evangelizing by Hector Molina (Director of Hispanic Ministry at Archdiocese of St. Louis)
Pope Benedict XVI reminded us of this important truth in his apostolic exhortation, Verbum Domini: “The Christian life is essentially marked by an encounter with Jesus Christ, who calls us to follow him” (VD 72). Again, in his encyclical Deus Caritas Est, he writes, “Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction” (DCE 1).
At its core, Christianity is about an encounter with the risen Christ that results in a life transformed. This encounter gives us a vision that inspires and directs our lives and impels us to share the gospel with others. “From this loving knowledge of Christ springs the desire to proclaim him, to ‘evangelize,’ and to lead others to the ‘yes’ of faith in Jesus Christ” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 429).
[T]he person who has been evangelized goes on to evangelize others. Here lies the test of truth, the touchstone of evangelization: it is unthinkable that a person should accept the Word and give himself to the kingdom without becoming a person who bears witness to it and proclaims it in his turn (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 24).
Many of us fear that our efforts to share the gospel will come up short. We think we won’t be able to convince anyone of the truth claims of our faith. So many believers are paralyzed by the fear of failure that they end up never sharing the good news.
I remember struggling with this fear shortly after my personal encounter with the Lord. During that time, I came across something that Bl. Mother Teresa was fond of saying: “God does not call us to be successful; he calls us to be faithful.”. Those words were liberating. They helped me to realize that I am not called to be a successful evangelist, one who converts the hearts and minds of everyone I encounter in life. What I am called to be is faithful to the mission that I have been entrusted with: to know, live, and share the gospel with others by my words and my example, and to entrust the rest to God.
Ultimately, it is God alone who changes hearts and minds through the power of the Holy Spirit. Pope Paul VI reminds us of this:
Evangelization will never be possible without the action of the Holy Spirit. . . . It must be said that the Holy Spirit is the principal agent of evangelization: it is He who impels each individual to proclaim the Gospel, and it is He who in the depths of consciences causes the word of salvation to be accepted and understood (EN 75).
As Christ himself teaches, we are sowers of the seed, called to scatter the gospel as generously as possible. But it is God who causes the growth; it is he who brings forth new life. We must place our firm trust and hope in him. As the popes have repeatedly reminded us since Vatican II, the Church never imposes the Faith but always proposes it. Pope Paul VI makes this clear in Evangelii Nuntiandi:
It would certainly be an error to impose something on the consciences of our brethren. But to propose to their consciences the truth of the Gospel and salvation in Jesus Christ, with complete clarity and with a total respect for the free options which it presents—“without coercion, or dishonorable or unworthy pressure”—far from being an attack on religious liberty is fully to respect that liberty, which is offered the choice of a way that even non-believers consider noble and uplifting (EN 80).
In his recent apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis writes:
In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples. All the baptized, whatever their position in the Church, or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of evangelization, and it would be insufficient to envisage a plan of evangelization to be carried out by professionals while the rest of the faithful would simply be passive recipients (EG 120).
As Catholics, our duty is to charitably share, explain, and defend these inconvenient yet necessary truths of our Faith against the widespread religious and moral relativism that continues to sow confusion and endanger untold numbers of souls.
Finally, there are many Catholics believe themselves unprepared and ill-equipped to share their faith. Because they lack formal education in theology or training in evangelization, they feel unsure of themselves. While formation is certainly important, our lack of formal training and education should not prevent us from giving simple witness to our faith in Jesus Christ—a witness born of a genuine encounter and friendship with him.
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Praising the Father (Luke 10:21-24)
21
At that very moment he rejoiced (in) the holy Spirit and said, "I give
you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have
hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them
to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."
23 Turning to the disciples in private he said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
24 For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."
comments by Pope Benedict XVI in General Audience (December 2011):
Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407), priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church. In Sermons on Saint Matthew’s Gospel, no.38, 1 says: “You have revealed them to the childlike, I give praise to you,” Jesus says, “because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned.” What? Is he glad at the loss of those who don’t believe in him? Certainly not. How wonderful are God’s designs for people’s salvation! When they turn away from the truth and refuse to accept it, God never forces them but lets them be. Their wandering away stimulates them to find the path again. Returning to their senses, they hastily seek out the grace of the call to faith they had rejected before. As for those who had remained faithful, their devotion becomes even stronger like this. So Christ is glad these things are revealed to some but saddened they are hidden from others. This is made known when he weeps over the city (Lk 19,41). Saint Paul writes in the same spirit: “Thanks be to God! You were once slaves of sin but you have become obedient from the heart” to the Gospel (Rom 6,17)…
Who are the wise Jesus is talking about here? The scribes and the
Pharisees. He says this to hearten his disciples by showing them of what
privileges they have been accounted worthy. Simple fishermen that they
are, they have received the illumination that the wise and learned
despised. These latter are wise in name only; they think themselves wise
but are false scholars. That is why Christ did not say: “You have
revealed them to the ignorant” but to “the childlike”, that is to say,
simple, honest people… In this way he teaches us to utterly renounce
important things and seek out simplicity. Saint Paul goes even further:
“If anyone considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool so
as to become wise” (1Cor 3,18).
comments by Jesuit Fr. Rodney Kissinger, S.J:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.”
Every Christian, especially theologians, priests and religious, should have this saying of Jesus framed and kept on their desk.
We live in an information centered society. We have a lust for knowledge; we want to know. This lust for knowledge has created what is called “info mania.” This “info mania” has spread into religion. We want to know and the one we want to know most and be most certain of is God. This can set us off on a wild goose chase, on a mission impossible. I know because am a victim of that “wild goose chase.”
St Anselm defined theology as faith seeking understanding. Understanding does not mean comprehension. Faith gives us mysteries that cannot be discovered by reason and once we know them by faith we still do not understand them. If we understood the mystery it would no longer be a mystery. What we understand is that it is a mystery and why it is a mystery. For example, if you understand the Trinity you don’t understand it because it is unintelligible. God always remains the “Incomprehensible Obvious.”
“You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and have revealed them to the childlike.”
What does it mean to be childlike? It doesn’t mean to be childish.
-> It means TO BE TOTALLY IMMERSED IN THE PRESENT. A child does not have a past to feel guilty about. A child knows nothing about the future to worry about. So they live in the present, in the real world, which is the only reality. That is why they can learn and assimilate so quickly. Adult waste so much and time and energy on the past and the future both of which do not exist.
-> It means TO HAVE A SENSE OF WONDER. Nothing is dull or complacent to a child, everything is new and exciting. They live in a magic kingdom where there are tongues in trees, books in running brooks and good in everything. They find themselves the center of a wonderful world. They want to know about everything. Their constant question is why. Adults have lost their sense of wonder. They have been there, done that, it is all the “same old same old.” They live in a dull, monotonous world where they are bored to death.
-> It means TO EXPERIENCE AN UNCONDITIONAL LOVE of their parents which is not based on their possessions or achievements. Most adults do not experience the unconditional love of God and therefore base their security on their possessions and achievements. They base their security on wealth, health, laws, insurance, weapons, treaties, stocks and bonds, on the stars, tea leaves, and crystal balls.
But you say how can I be childlike? I am an adult. I do have a past for which I feel guilty and a future about which I worry. I have been there and done that. And I feel unlovable so how can anyone love me unconditionally?
Our faith makes it possible to be childlike. I can live in the present because my faith assures me that I have the mercy of God for the past and the providence of God for the future. I can have a sense of wonder because faith ushers us into a wonderful world that is more mysterious and more romantic than we world of the senses. I can have a sense of security which is based on the unconditional love of God because my faith tells me that God loves me unconditionally with a love I cannot earn or ever be worthy of. And God loves me for myself, not as I could be or should be but as I really am with all of the physical warts, psychological quirks and spiritual infidelities.
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 18:3) Such is the kingdom of God; such is the wonderful world of reality: to live in the present, to have a sense of awe and wonder and to have our security rooted firmly in the fidelity of the love of God.
comments by Pope John Paul II (Holy Father's General Audience Address of December 17, 1997):
Those who lived in Jesus' time and had the joy of being close to him, seeing him and hearing him were particularly fortunate. Jesus himself calls them blessed: "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it" (Lk 10:23-24).
Jesus invites disciples to see beyond the senses:
The formula "I tell you" makes it clear that the affirmation goes beyond mere observation of a historical fact. What Jesus says is a word of revelation which sheds light on the profound meaning of history. In the past that precedes him, Jesus does not only see the external events that prepare his coming; he looks at the deep aspirations of hearts which underlie those events and anticipate their final outcome.
The majority of Jesus' contemporaries are unaware of their privilege. They see and hear the Messiah without recognizing him as the Saviour for whom they hoped. They address him without realizing they are speaking to God's Anointed foretold by the prophets.
In saying: "what you see", "what you hear", Jesus invites them to perceive the mystery, going beyond the veil of the senses. He helps his disciples especially to penetrate it: "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God" (Mk 4:11).
Our faith, based precisely on the disciples' witness, is rooted in their gradual discovery of the mystery. We do not have the privilege of seeing and hearing Jesus, as was possible during the time of his earthly life, but with faith we receive the immeasurable grace of entering into the mystery of Christ and his kingdom.
The Great Commandment (Luke 10:25-28)
25 There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26 Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?"
27 He said in reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."
28 He replied to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live."
comments by Dr. Mary Healy, professor of Scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit:
Jesus responds by quoting Deut 6:4-5, the great Israelite confession of faith known as the Shema (Hebrew for "hear"): Hear, 0 Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! (Mark 12:29) By the time ofJesus, this statement was understood to mean that YHWH is not only the one God of the Jews but the one and only God of the whole universe.
To love God is to have a profound reverence and affection for him, to give ourselves over to him and desire to please him above all else. Jesus is spelling out what he had said earlier about repaying to God what belongs to him (12:17).
Jesus uses four terms that, taken together, signify not distinct faculties or parts of the human being but different ways of referring to the whole person. The heart (kardia) is the inner depths of a person, the wellspring from which all our decisions and actions flow (see 7:19). The soul (psyche) is our whole self as a living being, that which Jesus said we must be willing to give up for his sake (8:35) and which he will give up for our sake (10:45). Jesus adds another term, mind, to emphasize that even our thoughts and reasoning must be animated by love for God. The last phrase, with all your strength, emphasizes that love for God is not a sentiment that arises spontaneously, but a commitment that calls for every ounce of our energy. How can such love without measure be possible? Only by our first knowing and experiencing God's love for us (Rom 5:5,8; 1 John 4:11).
The second part of Jesus' response quotes Lev 19:18: You shall love your 12:31 neighbor as yourself.
The Torah was full of commandments-613 of them, according to later rabbinic tradition-and it was common in scribal discussions to look for the one general statement or overriding principle that would summarize and ground them all.
Jesus is the first one known to have explicitly combined these two commandments. But they are the foundations underlying the first three and last seven commandments of the tDecalogue respectively (Exod 20:2-11, 12-17). His implication is that they are inseparable: our love for God is concretized and expressed in our love for fellow human beings (see 1 John 4: 11, 20-21). To love others "as yourself" means to make their well-being as high a priority as your own (see Phil 2:3-4)-a very demanding standard. Although in its original context "neighbor" meant one's fellow Israelite, elsewhere Jesus makes clear that our love must extend to every person without limit (Matt 5:43-44; Luke 10:29-37), since the one God is God of all.
Jesus concludes: There is no other commandment greater than these. The rest of the law merely spells out how to love God and neighbor. To fulfill this twofold commandment perfectly would be to fulfill the entire law (see Rom 13:8-10; James 2:8).
comments by Thomas S. Washburn, Franciscan Friar (a friar's life https://afriarslife.blogspot.de):
We heard Jesus proclaim the Christian Golden Rule, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” This Golden Rule is well known to us, but it is not just a Christian thing. Nearly every religion and culture in the world has the Golden Rule in one form or another. For example, in Judaism, they say, “What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man.” In Buddhism, “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” In Hinduism, “Do nothing unto others which would cause you pain if done to you.” And in Islam, “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.”
So, why did Jesus spend so much time teaching it as if it was a new thing? Well, it’s because as so often happens, Jesus gives us a completely new understanding of this well-known command. And the key difference in the Christian understanding comes from that simple question asked today, “Who is my neighbor?”
You see, among the Jews of Jesus' time there were those who understood “neighbor” in a very limited way. One group, the Essenes, for example, required new members to swear to love the sons of light and hate the sons of darkness. For them, your neighbor is limited to those who share your religious view; you have no obligation to the rest. Other groups, like the Zealots, understood neighbor to include only those of the same nationality or ethnicity. And so, in our Gospel passage today, they would not regard the Samaritan as a neighbor; Samaritans are outsiders and the circle of neighborly love clearly does not include them. Jesus came into a world of “us” and “them,” “us” being the circle of those recognized as neighbors, and “them” being the rest of the world regarded as hostile strangers and enemies.
This radically different interpretation of the Golden Rule in Jesus' teaching of neighborly love is in His insistence that all humanity is really one big neighborhood; just like Mr. Rogers. Jesus broke down the walls of division and the borders of prejudice and suspicion that humans have erected between “us” and “them” throughout time. To bring home this point He tells the story of the Good Samaritan. This man regarded as Enemy Number One by the establishment for no other reason than that he is a Samaritan, is ironically the one who truly proves himself to be neighbor to the Jewish man in need. Thus to the question “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus offers new and challenging answer to His hearers: Anyone and everyone is your neighbor – without exception.
In our own world – whether during times of war or debates over immigration law - we need to be reminded that everyone is our neighbor – even the enemy; even the immigrant; even the one we don’t like or who doesn’t like us. They are our neighbor and we must offer them mercy. We must overcome our tendency to likewise think in terms of “us” and “them” and instead heed the command of Jesus today to, “Go and do likewise” – to offer mercy, to treat everyone with respect, to be neighbor to the world.
Jesus reminds us that our understanding of neighbor must be expanded to include even the so-called “nobodies” of society. The Christian understanding of “neighbor” has no borders or boundaries. Today we are called to identify and tear down all the borders we have erected between those who belong to us (and are deemed deserving of our love and concern) and those who don't belong to us (those we somehow allow ourselves to ignore or marginalize). The Gospel today challenges us all to dismantle these walls. This way we work with Jesus to realize His dream of the world as a neighborhood without borders or boundaries.
Jesus' story tells us that when we truly love our neighbor, we must be willing to help no matter how the person got into their situation of need. It also shows us that our love and concern to help others in need must be practical. Good intentions and empathizing with others is not enough; we must do good to one another. And lastly, our love for others must be as wide as God's love. No one is excluded. God's love is unconditional. So we must be ready to do good to others for their sake, just as God is good to us.
Jesus said, “Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” (Luke 10:36-37) He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” Let us love our neighbors as ourselves without restriction, without boundaries. Please won’t you be my neighbor?
Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37)
29 But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30 Jesus replied, "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.
31 A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
32 Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
33 But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight.
34 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.
35 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.'
36 Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?"
37 He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
In the time of Jesus, the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was notorious for its danger and difficulty, and was known as the "Way of Blood" because "of the blood which is often shed there by robbers. The Samaritans are adherents of Samaritanism, an Abrahamic religion closely related to Judaism. Samaritans and Jews generally despised each other, but the Samaritan helps the injured man. Jesus is described as telling the parable in response to a question regarding the identity of the "neighbour".
Portraying a Samaritan in positive light would have come as a shock to Jesus' audience. It is typical of his provocative speech in which conventional expectations are inverted.
The parable is an example of the ethics of Jesus, which have won nearly universal praise, even from those outside the Church. The parable has inspired painting, sculpture, poetry, and film. The colloquial phrase "good Samaritan" meaning someone who helps a stranger, derives from this parable, and many hospitals and charitable organizations are named after the Good Samaritan.
commentary by Pablo T. Gadenz, Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Trenton (NJ) :
The Samaritans descended from the Israelites of the northern tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. However, Jews regarded them as having doubtful lineage on account of intermarriage with the Gentile peoples imported by the Assyrians after they conquered the northern kingdom in 721 BC and sent some Israelites into exile (2 Kings 17:6-24; 2 Chron 30:6-11). Besides these ethnic tensions, there was an enduring religious rift associated with the Samaritans’ worship on Mount Gerizim rather than at the Jerusalem temple (John 4:20). The Hasmonean Jewish ruler John Hyrcanus destroyed the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim around 111 BC. Later, under the Roman prefect Coponius (AD 6-9), some Samaritans struck back by littering the Jerusalem temple with human bones at Passover, thus defiling it. Moreover, when Cumanus was the Roman procurator (AD 48-52), Samaritans from the border village of Ginae killed a group of Galileans passing through Samaria on the way to Jerusalem for a feast.
This background of hostility explains the rejection of Jesus by the Samaritan villagers (Luke 9:53) but also makes the parable of the good Samaritan (10:29-37) particularly effective for teaching love of neighbor. Jesus’ healing often lepers also breaks down the enmity, as one of them—a Samaritan—returns to thank him (17:11-19). These passages set the stage for the Acts of the Apostles, where the gospel is proclaimed to Samaria (Acts 1:8; 8:4-25). In the new community that emerges in the land of Israel, the long-standing animosity can be overcome: “The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace” (Acts 9:31). The regathering of the Samaritans thus forms part of the program of Israel’s restoration in Luke-Acts.
comments by Pope John Paul II ("The World Day of the Sick 2000"):
By following the example of her divine Founder, the Church, "from century to century ... has re-enacted the Gospel parable of the Good Samaritan, revealing and communicating her healing love and the consolation of Jesus Christ.... This came about through the untiring commitment of the Christian community and all those who have taken care of the sick and suffering ... as well as the skilled and generous service of health-care workers" (Christifideles laici, n. 53). This commitment does not derive from specific social situations, nor should it be understood as an optional or fortuitous act, but is an intransgressible response to Christ's command: "he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity" (Mt 10:1, cf. 7-8).
The service rendered to the person who is suffering in body and soul takes its meaning from the Eucharist, finding in it not only its source but also its norm. It was not by chance that Jesus closely united the Eucharist with service (Jn 13:2-16), asking the disciples to perpetuate in memory of him not only the "breaking of the bread", but also the "washing of the feet".
The example of Christ, the good Samaritan, must inspire the believer's attitude, prompting him to be "close" to his brothers and sisters who are suffering, through respect, understanding, acceptance, tenderness, compassion and gratuitousness. It is a question of fighting the indifference that makes individuals and groups withdraw selfishly into themselves. To this end, "the family, the school and other educational institutions must, if only for humanitarian reasons, work perseveringly for the reawakening and refining of that sensitivity towards one's neighbour and his suffering" (Salvifici doloris, n. 29). For the believer, this human sensitivity is expressed in the agape, that is, in supernatural love, which brings one to love one's neighbour for love of God. In fact, guided by faith and surrounding with affectionate care those who are afflicted by human suffering, the Church recognizes in them the image of her poor and suffering Founder and is concerned to alleviate their suffering, mindful of his words: "I was sick and you visited me" (Mt 25:36). The example of Jesus, the good Samaritan, not only spurs one to help the sick, but also to do all one can to reintegrate him in society. For Christ, in fact, healing is also this reintegration: just as sickness excludes the human being from the community, so healing must bring him to rediscover his place in the family, in the Church and in society.
Jesus did not only treat and heal the sick, but he was also a tireless promoter of health through his saving presence, teaching and action. His love for man was expressed in relationships full of humanity, which led him to understand, to show compassion and bring comfort, harmoniously combining tenderness and strength. He was moved by the beauty of nature, he was sensitive to human suffering, he fought evil and injustice. He faced the negative aspects of this experience courageously and, fully aware of the implications, communicated the certainty of a new world. In him, the human condition showed its face redeemed and the deepest human aspirations found fulfillment.
He wants to communicate this harmonious fullness of life to people today. His saving action not only aims to meet the needs of human people, victims of their own limits and errors, but to sustain their efforts for total self-fulfillment. He opens the prospect of divine life to man: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn 10:10).
Called to continue Jesus' mission, the Church must seek to promote a full and ordered life for everyone.
comments by Pope Benedict XVI (JN):
The story of the Good Samaritan concerns the fundamental human question. A lawyer—a master of exegesis, in other words—poses this question to the Lord: “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Lk 10:25). Luke comments that the scholar addresses this question to Jesus in order to put him to the test. Being a Scripture scholar himself, he knows how the Bible answers his question, but he wants to see what this prophet without formal biblical studies has to say about it. The Lord very simply refers him to the Scripture, which of course he knows, and gets him to give the answer himself. The scholar does so by combining Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, and he is right on target: “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” (Lk 10:27). Jesus’ teaching on this question is no different from that of the Torah, the entire meaning of which is contained in this double commandment. But now the learned man, who knew the answer to his own question perfectly well, has to justify himself. What the Scripture says is uncontroversial, but how it is to be applied in practice in daily life raises questions that really were controversial among scholars (and in everyday life).
The concrete question is who is meant by “neighbor.” The conventional answer, for which scriptural support could be adduced, was that “neighbor” meant a fellow member of one’s people. A people is a community of solidarity in which everyone bears responsibility for everyone else. In this community, each member is sustained by the whole, and so each member is expected to look on every other member “as himself,” as a part of the same whole that gives him the space in which to live his life. Does this mean, then, that foreigners, men belonging to another people, are not neighbors? This would go against Scripture, which insisted upon love for foreigners also, mindful of the fact that Israel itself had lived the life of a foreigner in Egypt. It remained a matter of controversy, though, where the boundaries were to be drawn. Generally speaking, only the “sojourner” living among the people was reckoned as a member of the community of solidarity and so as a “neighbor.”
Now that the question has been focused in this way, Jesus answers it with the parable of the man on the way from Jerusalem to Jericho who falls among robbers, is stripped of everything, and then is left lying half dead on the roadside. That was a perfectly realistic story, because such assaults were a regular occurrence on the Jericho road. A priest and a Levite—experts in the Law who know about salvation and are its professional servants—come along, but they pass by without stopping. There is no need to suppose that they were especially cold-hearted people; perhaps they were afraid themselves and were hurrying to get to the city as quickly as possible, or perhaps they were inexpert and did not know how to go about helping the man—especially since it looked as though he was quite beyond help anyway. At this point a Samaritan comes along, presumably a merchant who often has occasion to traverse this stretch of road and is evidently acquainted with the proprietor of the nearest inn; a Samaritan—someone, in other words, who does not belong to Israel’s community of solidarity and is not obliged to see the assault victim as his “neighbor.”
Seeing this man in such a state is a blow that strikes him “viscerally,” touching his soul. “He had compassion”—that is how we translate the text today, diminishing its original vitality. Struck in his soul by the lightning flash of mercy, he himself now becomes a neighbor, heedless of any question or danger. The burden of the question thus shifts here. The issue is no longer which other person is a neighbor to me or not. The question is about me. I have to become the neighbor, and when I do, the other person counts for me “as myself.”
If the question had been “Is the Samaritan my neighbor, too?” the answer would have been a pretty clear-cut no given the situation at the time. But Jesus now turns the whole matter on its head: The Samaritan, the foreigner, makes himself the neighbor and shows me that I have to learn to be a neighbor deep within and that I already have the answer in myself. I have to become like someone in love, someone whose heart is open to being shaken up by another’s need. Then I find my neighbor, or—better—then I am found by him.
The topical relevance of the parable is evident. When we transpose it into the dimensions of world society, we see how the peoples of Africa, lying robbed and plundered, matter to us. Then we see how deeply they are our neighbors; that our lifestyle, the history in which we are involved, has plundered them and continues to do so. This is true above all in the sense that we have wounded their souls. Instead of giving them God, the God who has come close to us in Christ, which would have integrated and brought to completion all that is precious and great in their own traditions, we have given them the cynicism of a world without God in which all that counts is power and profit, a world that destroys moral standards so that corruption and unscrupulous will to power are taken for granted. And that applies not only to Africa.
We do of course have material assistance to offer and we have to examine our own way of life. But we always give too little when we just give material things. And aren’t we surrounded by people who have been robbed and battered? The victims of drugs, of human trafficking, of sex tourism, inwardly devastated people who sit empty in the midst of material abundance. All this is of concern to us, it calls us to have the eye and the heart of a neighbor, and to have the courage to love our neighbor, too. For—as we have said—the priest and the Levite may have passed by more out of fear than out of indifference. The risk of goodness is something we must relearn from within, but we can do that only if we ourselves become good from within, if we ourselves are “neighbors” from within, and if we then have an eye for the sort of service that is asked of us, that is possible for us, and is therefore also expected of us, in our environment and within the wider ambit of our lives.
The Church Fathers understood the parable Christologically. That is an allegorical reading, one might say—an interpretation that bypasses the text. The Fathers see the parable in terms of world history: Is not the man who lies half dead and stripped on the roadside an image of “Adam,” of man in general, who truly “fell among robbers”? Is it not true that man, this creature man, has been alienated, battered, and misused throughout his entire history? The road from Jerusalem to Jericho thus turns out to be an image of human history; the half-dead man lying by the side of it is an image of humanity. Priest and Levite pass by; from earthly history alone, from its cultures and religions alone, no healing comes. If the assault victim is the image of Everyman, the Samaritan can only be the image of Jesus Christ. God himself, who for us is foreign and distant, has set out to take care of his wounded creature. God, though so remote from us, has made himself our neighbor in Jesus Christ. He pours oil and wine into our wounds, a gesture seen as an image of the healing gift of the sacraments, and he brings us to the inn, the Church, in which he arranges our care and also pays a deposit for the cost of that care.
The great vision that sees man lying alienated and helpless by the roadside of history and God himself becoming man’s neighbor in Jesus Christ is one that we can happily retain, as a deeper dimension of the parable that is of concern to us. The two characters in this story are relevant to every single human being. Everyone is “alienated,” especially from love (which, after all, is the essence of the “supernatural splendor” of which we have been despoiled); everyone must first be healed and filled with God’s gifts. But then everyone is also called to become a Samaritan—to follow Christ and become like him. When we do that, we live rightly. We love rightly when we become like him, who loved all of us first (cf. 1 Jn 4:19).
Jesus at the home of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42)
38 As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
39 She had a sister named Mary (who) sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
40 Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me."
41 The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
42 There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her."
The story of Martha and Mary further illustrates the importance of hearing the words of the teacher and the concern with women in Luke. Sat beside the Lord at his feet: it is remarkable for first-century Palestinian Judaism that a woman would assume the posture of a disciple at the master's feet and it reveals a characteristic attitude of Jesus toward women in this gospel. Jesus gently rebukes Martha for being "worried and distracted" by her many tasks and her resentment of Mary's behavior. Jesus tells her that she has lost her focus; she needs only one thing. And what is that one thing? The answer is in the story of the Good Samaritan, which precedes this one. Martha needs to focus on loving God and her neighbor as herself; to do this one thing is to choose the better part, to be a disciple of Jesus.
Mary is sitting at the feet of Christ, fully listening to what He has to say and in a sense, growing in relationship with Him. This relationship is growing because she is in His Presence, giving Him her full attention, and not being distracted by any other cares or worries. Mary isn't distracted by petty passing things that won't matter in the end, but she realizes that true fulfillment and eternal life is found only in Christ. However, it is a choice. The verse clearly states that "Mary has chosen the better part." She could have been distracted and anxious, but she chose to immerse herself in Christ instead.
comments by Edward Sri, professor of theology and Scripture:
Worry dominates the hearts of many Christians. We worry about the future, our job, our finances, our reputation. While being concerned about these basic human matters is important, we can become preoccupied with them in a way that is unhealthy for our spiritual lives. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, concern for an earthly affair can become sinful if we view it as an end in itself, as for example, in thinking to oneself, “I can’t be happy without this job, without this relationship, without this level of income.” Concern over earthly things is also sinful if the worry distracts us from the spiritual life. We can become so preoccupied by a problem or decision that the worry dominates our thoughts, even at Mass and prayer—such that we begin to neglect the worship we owe God. And in constantly trying to solve our problem we fail to listen to what God may be trying to teach us in this particular moment of difficulty.
In moments of anxiety we can find encouragement from Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus reminds us that our heavenly Father provides for us and always brings whatever is best for us. If we truly place our trust in God’s plan for our lives, all other things will fall into their proper place. Thus Jesus says, “Seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.” Having confidence in the Father can be a source of great peace and joy, liberating us from the fear and worry that might otherwise plague our lives.
commentary by Pablo T. Gadenz, Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Trenton (NJ) :
Martha is burdened or “distracted” (RSV) on account of much serving. Certainly, Martha’s efforts to serve her special guest are all well and good (see 4:39; 8:3). Indeed, she is following Old Testament precedent: the widow of Zarephath and the woman of Shunem gave such hospitality to the prophets Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17:10-16; 2 Kings 4:8). However, there is already a hint of her shortcoming in the description. Since there is so “much” to do, she is distracted and too busy to pay attention to Jesus’ words. Her concern also leads her to want to take her sister away from Jesus, whom she asks to intervene: Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? She follows up her question, which expects a yes answer, with a command: tell her to help me.
In response, Jesus corrects her as earlier he corrected James and John (Luke 9:55). Affectionately repeating her name (see 22:31)45—Martha, Martha—he points out what is wrong with her fretful activity: you are anxious and worried. In the parable of the sower, Jesus had warned that anxieties can, like thorns, choke a person’s response to the word (8:14). He later cautions against being anxious (12:22, 25-26) and allowing oneself to be weighed down with the anxieties of life (21:34).
Certainly, Martha’s anxieties spring from her desire to serve Jesus, not from the pursuit of sinful pleasures also mentioned in these other verses. However, Jesus' teaching about not being anxious has general application.
Second, he explains why Mary’s behavior is proper. Whereas Martha is concerned about many things, Jesus explains that only one thing is necessary: listening to him. In other words, the aspect that takes priority when Jesus is “welcomed” (10:38) is welcoming—in other words, listening to—his message of salvation, as Mary was doing. This is the better part (“the good portion,” RSV) that Mary, like “good soil” (8:8, 15), has chosen (see 9:35).
Interestingly, Lydia in Acts makes the right combination, responding like both Mary and Martha. First, she “listened” to the gospel message preached by Paul and then offered hospitality to him and his companions (Acts 16:14-15).
Active and contemplative: From early on in Christian history, Martha and Mary have been understood as signifying the active life and the contemplative life. For contemporary Christians, it is helpful to emphasize the unity of these two dimensions of their lives: union with God through prayer overflows into all one’s activities, so that they bear fruit (see John 15:5).
comments by Pope Francis (Angelus service 21st July 2013):
What does Jesus wish to say? Above all it is important to understand that it is not a matter of two contrasting attitudes: listening to the Word of the Lord – contemplation – and concrete service to our neighbour. They are not two opposed attitudes but, on the contrary, they are both aspects that are essential for our Christian life; aspects that must never be separated but rather lived in profound unity and harmony.
So why does Jesus rebuke Martha? Because she considered only what she was doing to be essential; she was too absorbed and worried about things to 'do'. For a Christian, the works of service and charity are never detached from the principle source of our action: that is, listening to the Word of the Lord, sitting – like Mary – at Jesus’ feet in the attitude of a disciple. And for this reason Mary is rebuked.
In our Christian life too prayer and action are always profoundly united. Prayer that does not lead to concrete action toward a brother who is poor, sick, in need of help … is a sterile and incomplete prayer. But, in the same way, when in ecclesial service we are only concerned with what we are doing, we give greater weight to things, functions and structures, forgetting the centrality of Christ; we do not set aside time for dialogue with Him in prayer, we run the risk of serving ourselves and not God, present in our brother in need.
Let us ask the Virgin Mary, Mother of listening and service, who teaches us to meditate on the Word of her Son in our heart, to pray with fidelity, and to be ever more concretely attentive to the needs of our brothers.
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| Patrobulus, Hermas, Linus, Caius, Philologus of 70 disciples (Menologion of Basil II manuscript - c. 1000 AD) |
2 He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.
3 Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
4 Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.
5 Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.'
6 If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.
7 Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another.
8 Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you,
9 cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'
10 Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say,
11 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.
12 I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.
13 Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.
15 And as for you, Capernaum, 'Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.'"
16 Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."
17 The seventy (-two) returned rejoicing, and said, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."
18 Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
19 Behold, I have given you the power 'to tread upon serpents' and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.
20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."
The seventy disciples or seventy-two disciples (known in the Eastern Christian tradition as the Seventy Apostles) were early students of Jesus. According to Luke, the only gospel in which they appear, Jesus appointed them and sent them out in pairs on a specific mission which is detailed in the text. In Western Christianity, they are usually referred to as disciples, whereas in Eastern Christianity they are usually referred to as Apostles. Many of the names included among the seventy are recognizable for their other achievements.
The word "Apostle", from the Greek apostello "to send forth", "to dispatch", has etymologically a very general sense. Apostolos (Apostle) means one who is sent forth, dispatched--in other words, who is entrusted with a mission, rather, a foreign mission. It has, however, a stronger sense than the word messenger, and means as much as a delegate. A "disciple" is a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or any other wise person. Someone who accepts and helps in spreading the teachings of another or simply put one who learns any art or science.
comments by Msgr. Joseph Prior, priest of St. John the Evangelist Parish, Morrisville:
Jesus sends forth 72 disciples to continue His mission. These 72 disciples represent the missionary activity of the Church and the followers of Jesus. The sending forth recounted in this passage is a “trial run” for the disciples. After the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord their preparation will be complete and they will be readied to fulfill their role of spreading the Gospel and inviting others to faith.
Jesus sends the disciples forward to visit places that He intends to visit. The role of these missionary disciples is to prepare for Jesus’ expected coming. Jesus is asking them to prepare the peoples they meet for His arrival. He tells them that the “harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
The saying reminds the disciples, as they are beginning their mission, that it is a large undertaking. The vast multitudes of peoples who they will encounter are in need of attention and care. The disciples will be doing the work of the harvest master and there will always be the need for more assistance.
Prayer needs to be at the center of this important work. The disciples need to realize that they are on mission not for themselves nor are they empowered by themselves but they are at the service of the harvest master. Therefore they should pray to the harvest master for more workers in the vineyard. These “workers” will be like them; disciples of the Lord, for the mission is the responsibility of all disciples.
Jesus warns His disciples about the situation they are facing as they go forth. “Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.” The disciples are going into a world where their message will be under attack. They will face opposition and rejection (just like the Lord). Jesus warns them so they are aware. He does not want them to be discouraged in the face of rejection or opposition.
Jesus then gives the instructions for the mission. First, he tells them to be determined and focused as they go forth. “Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.” They are to proceed in haste. They are not to take anything on the mission that will impede them or cause delay. They are to avoid anything that will distract them from the mission at hand.
Second, they are to proclaim and offer peace. The instruction reminds us of Jesus’ greetings after His resurrection. In numerous resurrection accounts when Jesus appears to the apostles and disciples, He greets them with “Peace.” The peace that Jesus offers is one of unity. Through His passion, death and resurrection Jesus has restored the unity of man with God. Consequently peace has been established. The disciples will offer this peace to those whom they encounter.
Third, Jesus instructs the disciples to say put. He tells them not to move around from house to house but to stay at the same place and to rely on the hospitality of the hosts for their sustenance. The disciples are not to be distracted from the mission with undue movement. They stay in the same household building up the communion that is established. They will need stability in the relationships so that the seed of faith can take root and grow.
Fourth, Jesus tells them to cure the sick and to proclaim, “The kingdom of God is at hand for you.” The cure of the sick refers both to healing and restoration. Healing of the sick will come in many forms. At first read we might think of the healing of the body from physical ailments. Yet the healing that the disciples can offer goes much deeper than the physical.
The healing of mind, soul and spirit are accomplished when one encounters the love and mercy of God. The proclamation of the kingdom is an offer, an invitation to experience the love and mercy of God offered through Jesus. The disciples are ministers of the kingdom and through them the invitation is offered.
Fifth, the disciples are given instruction for how to handle rejection. When they are rejected by a town they are to say: “The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.” Jesus has already told the 72 that they will face rejection. Yet this rejection cannot stop the mission from moving forward. The proclamation of the kingdom is an invitation to faith, not an imposition. The disciples cannot force anyone to believe, they must do so freely.
At the same time, rejection bears consequences. If they reject the Kingdom, they reject the love and mercy offered. If they reject the love and mercy offered, they choose death over life. Hence Jesus can say, “I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.” However, for the disciples part, they are not to be distracted from the mission by rejection. They are to move forward with the proclamation.
When the disciples then come back sometime later amazed at the power of Jesus’ name Jesus tells them, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power to ‘tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” Though the disciples may encounter threats to life and the forces of evil, these things will have no ultimate power over the disciples because they are the Lord’s. So Jesus says, “rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
The mission of Jesus is continued in the life of the disciples. The mission is one of life and love, mercy and forgiveness. The rejoicing that accompanies the mission is one that will be experienced by many.
The joy is akin to that mentioned in the first reading from the Book of Isaiah. The abundance of life that accompanies the restoration of Jerusalem foreshadows the mission of Jesus. In this reading the restoration witnesses to the Lord’s power. In the Gospel Jesus is the witness to the Father’s power and the disciples are the witness to Jesus’ power. As they witness to His name and proclaim the Kingdom they lead others to rejoice in God’s goodness and love.
The mission of Jesus continues today. As disciples of Jesus and members of His Church we are called to share in the work of redemption. We are called to follow Jesus and to proclaim His Kingdom of love and peace. Like the 72 we too are called to go into a world where many have not yet experienced the power of Jesus’ love. We are called to go forth and to witness to this love.
Instead of going into unknown towns and villages, we go into our neighborhoods, into our work place, into our schools, into our swim clubs, into our shopping malls. Anywhere we encounter people is the place where the mission lies.
We go forward on this mission, like the 72, and witness our faith by the way we live, in what we say and do. In this proclamation of the Kingdom we invite others to experience the Lord’s peace and to be filled with great rejoicing in His love.
comments by Pope Benedict XVI (JN):
Only Luke tells us that Jesus formed a second group of disciples, which was composed of seventy (or seventy-two) and was sent out with a mission similar to that of the Twelve (cf. Lk 10:1–12). Like the number twelve, the number seventy (or seventy-two—the manuscripts variously report one or the other) is symbolic. Based on a combination of Deuteronomy 32:8 and Exodus 1:5, seventy was considered to be the number of the nations of the world. According to Exodus 1:5, seventy was the number of people who accompanied Jacob into Egypt; “they were all Jacob’s offspring.” A recent variant of Deuteronomy 32:8, which has become the generally received version, runs as follows: “When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of men, he fixed the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel”—this is a reference to the seventy members of the house of Jacob at the time of the emigration to Egypt. Alongside the twelve sons, who prefigure Israel, stand the seventy, who represent the whole world and are thus considered also to have some connection with Jacob, with Israel.
comments by Matthew Gill, Director at Catholic High School (linktoliturgy.com):
“I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.”
What does Jesus mean when He said that Satan fell like lightning from the sky? This is a reference to the Battle of Heaven. This battle is described in the Book of Revelation.
“Then a war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it.” (Revelation 12:7). The loss of Satan and all those who join him are anti-Christ in their rebellion against truth and good. This rebellious anti-Christ attitude is foretold in the book of Isaiah, and is seen in individuals, groups, or nations. All who are anti-Christ and rebel against the holy will of God are children of Satan, and like Satan fall from heaven and fall from grace. Isaiah says of the King of Babylon words that show that he is imitating Satan and as Satan fell, he will fall “How have you fallen from the heavens, O morning star, son of the dawn! How are you cut down to the ground, you who mowed down nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will scale the heavens; Above the stars of God I will set up my throne; I will take my seat on the Mount of Assembly, in the recesses of the North. I will ascent above the tops of the clouds; I will be like the Most High!’ Yet down to the nether world you go to the recesses of the pit!” Isaiah 14:12-15
Not only does Satan and those who follow Satan rebel against God but they also desire to “be like the Most High”. They do not wish to be like the Most High out of worship and love, but instead they want to be as powerful as God and in fact they want to be God. Many of the Roman Emperors and Caesars after Christ tried to claim they were a God, and swear not just allegiance, but also worship to them. Many Christians died for refusing to worship the emperors who portrayed themselves as kings and those who made their people worship false gods. Satan said to Eve in the garden, “God knows well that the moment you eat of it [the fruit] your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad.”Genesis 3:5. Satan always tempts us to rebel against God’s holy will. He tempts us to think that our will, is as good or greater than the holy will of God.
How does Satan tempt us today to rebel against God and even become a “god” our self? There are almost too many to write. Some examples include the redefinition of an institution (marriage) that God not only established but also defined. We make ourselves a “god” when we re-define marriage and attempt to re-establish it. We become a “god” when we take innocent lives out of convenience, hatred, preference, etc. We become a “god” when we are not open to life within marriage and dictate based on selfish reasons that a certain amount of children is enough. We become a “god” when we call the shots or make the rules on what we believe (doctrines), what we do and don’t do (morals) and how we worship (prayer and liturgy). In all of these examples we say to God, “My will be done” rather than “Thy will be done”.
What is the end, the outcome for a person that lives in rebellion against God? C.S. Lewis said the person who says their whole life “My will be done” will at their judgment get their own will, which is separation from the will of God and in deed separation from God Himself. These people will hear God say to them, “Thy will be done”. For the person who says their whole life “Thy will be done” as we pray in the Our Father, they will at their judgment get God’s will, which is union with the will of God and in deed union with God Himself. These people will hear God say to them, “My will be done”. Jesus says to His apostles at the Last Supper, “Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.” (John 12:31) Satan is the ruler of the world and is driven out by the Cross. It is in Christ our Victor that the anti-Christ rebellious nature of man is conquered.
In the Catechism:
391 Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy. Scripture and the Church's Tradition see in this being a fallen angel, called "Satan" or the "devil". The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: "The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing."
392 Scripture speaks of a sin of these angels. This "fall" consists in the free choice of these created spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected God and his reign. We find a reflection of that rebellion in the tempter's words to our first parents: "You will be like God." The devil "has sinned from the beginning"; he is "a liar and the father of lies".
393 It is the irrevocable character of their choice, and not a defect in the infinite divine mercy, that makes the angels' sin unforgivable. "There is no repentance for the angels after their fall, just as there is no repentance for men after death."
394 Scripture witnesses to the disastrous influence of the one Jesus calls "a murderer from the beginning", who would even try to divert Jesus from the mission received from his Father."The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." In its consequences the gravest of these works was the mendacious seduction that led man to disobey God.
395 The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite. He is only a creature, powerful from the fact that he is pure spirit, but still a creature. He cannot prevent the building up of God's reign. Although Satan may act in the world out of hatred for God and his kingdom in Christ Jesus, and although his action may cause grave injuries - of a spiritual nature and, indirectly, even of a physical nature - to each man and to society, the action is permitted by divine providence which with strength and gentleness guides human and cosmic history. It is a great mystery that providence should permit diabolical activity, but "we know that in everything God works for good with those who love him."
[Catholics evangelizing by Hector Molina (Director of Hispanic Ministry at Archdiocese of St. Louis)
Pope Benedict XVI reminded us of this important truth in his apostolic exhortation, Verbum Domini: “The Christian life is essentially marked by an encounter with Jesus Christ, who calls us to follow him” (VD 72). Again, in his encyclical Deus Caritas Est, he writes, “Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction” (DCE 1).
At its core, Christianity is about an encounter with the risen Christ that results in a life transformed. This encounter gives us a vision that inspires and directs our lives and impels us to share the gospel with others. “From this loving knowledge of Christ springs the desire to proclaim him, to ‘evangelize,’ and to lead others to the ‘yes’ of faith in Jesus Christ” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 429).
[T]he person who has been evangelized goes on to evangelize others. Here lies the test of truth, the touchstone of evangelization: it is unthinkable that a person should accept the Word and give himself to the kingdom without becoming a person who bears witness to it and proclaims it in his turn (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 24).
Many of us fear that our efforts to share the gospel will come up short. We think we won’t be able to convince anyone of the truth claims of our faith. So many believers are paralyzed by the fear of failure that they end up never sharing the good news.
I remember struggling with this fear shortly after my personal encounter with the Lord. During that time, I came across something that Bl. Mother Teresa was fond of saying: “God does not call us to be successful; he calls us to be faithful.”. Those words were liberating. They helped me to realize that I am not called to be a successful evangelist, one who converts the hearts and minds of everyone I encounter in life. What I am called to be is faithful to the mission that I have been entrusted with: to know, live, and share the gospel with others by my words and my example, and to entrust the rest to God.
Ultimately, it is God alone who changes hearts and minds through the power of the Holy Spirit. Pope Paul VI reminds us of this:
Evangelization will never be possible without the action of the Holy Spirit. . . . It must be said that the Holy Spirit is the principal agent of evangelization: it is He who impels each individual to proclaim the Gospel, and it is He who in the depths of consciences causes the word of salvation to be accepted and understood (EN 75).
As Christ himself teaches, we are sowers of the seed, called to scatter the gospel as generously as possible. But it is God who causes the growth; it is he who brings forth new life. We must place our firm trust and hope in him. As the popes have repeatedly reminded us since Vatican II, the Church never imposes the Faith but always proposes it. Pope Paul VI makes this clear in Evangelii Nuntiandi:
It would certainly be an error to impose something on the consciences of our brethren. But to propose to their consciences the truth of the Gospel and salvation in Jesus Christ, with complete clarity and with a total respect for the free options which it presents—“without coercion, or dishonorable or unworthy pressure”—far from being an attack on religious liberty is fully to respect that liberty, which is offered the choice of a way that even non-believers consider noble and uplifting (EN 80).
In his recent apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis writes:
In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples. All the baptized, whatever their position in the Church, or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of evangelization, and it would be insufficient to envisage a plan of evangelization to be carried out by professionals while the rest of the faithful would simply be passive recipients (EG 120).
As Catholics, our duty is to charitably share, explain, and defend these inconvenient yet necessary truths of our Faith against the widespread religious and moral relativism that continues to sow confusion and endanger untold numbers of souls.
Finally, there are many Catholics believe themselves unprepared and ill-equipped to share their faith. Because they lack formal education in theology or training in evangelization, they feel unsure of themselves. While formation is certainly important, our lack of formal training and education should not prevent us from giving simple witness to our faith in Jesus Christ—a witness born of a genuine encounter and friendship with him.
]
Praising the Father (Luke 10:21-24)
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| Nicoletto Semitecolo - La Trinità (1367) |
22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."
23 Turning to the disciples in private he said, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
24 For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."
comments by Pope Benedict XVI in General Audience (December 2011):
The Evangelists Matthew and Luke (cf. Mt
11:25-30 and Lk 10:21-22) have handed down to us a “jewel” of
Jesus’ prayer that is often called the Cry of Exultation
or the Cry of Messianic Exultation. It is a prayer of
thanksgiving and praise, as we have heard. In the original Greek
of the Gospels the word with which this jubilation begins and
which expresses Jesus’ attitude in addressing the Father is
exomologoumai, which is often translated with “I praise” (cf.
Mt 11:25 and Lk 10:21). However, in the New Testament writings
this term indicates mainly two things: the first is “to confess”
fully — for example, John the Baptist asked those who went to
him to be baptized to recognize their every sin (cf. Mt
3:6); the second thing is “to be in agreement”. Therefore,
the words with which Jesus begins his prayer contain his full
recognition of the Father’s action and at the same time, his
being in total, conscious and joyful agreement with this
way of acting, with the Father’s plan. The “Cry of Exultation”
is the apex of a journey of prayer in which Jesus’ profound and
close communion with the life of the Father in the Holy Spirit
clearly emerges and his divine sonship is revealed.
Jesus addresses God by calling him “Father”.
This word expresses Jesus’ awareness and certainty of being “the
Son” in intimate and constant communion with him, and this is
the central focus and source of every one of Jesus’ prayers. We
see it clearly in the last part of the hymn which illuminates
the entire text. Jesus said: “All things have been delivered to
me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the
Father, or who the Father is except the Son and any one to whom
the Son chooses to reveal him” (Lk 10:22). Jesus was therefore
affirming that only “the Son” truly knows the Father.
All the knowledge that people have of each other
— we all experience this in our human relationships — entails
involvement, a certain inner bond between the one who knows and
the one who is known, at a more or less profound level: we
cannot know anyone without a communion of being. In the Cry
of Exultation — as in all his prayers — Jesus shows that
true knowledge of God presupposes communion with him. Only by
being in communion with the other can I begin to know him; and
so it is with God: only if I am in true contact, if I am in
communion with him, can I also know him. True knowledge,
therefore, is reserved to the “Son”, the Only Begotten One who
is in the bosom of the Father since eternity (cf. Jn 1:18), in
perfect unity with him. The Son alone truly knows God, since he
is in an intimate communion of being; only the Son can truly
reveal who God is.The name “Father” is followed by a second title,
“Lord of heaven and earth”. With these words, Jesus sums up
faith in creation and echoes the first words of Sacred
Scripture: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth” (Gen 1:1).
In praying, he recalls the great biblical
narrative of the history of God’s love for man that begins with
the act of creation. Jesus fits into this love story, he is its
culmination and its fulfilment. Sacred Scripture is illumined
through his experience of prayer and lives again in its fullest
breadth: the proclamation of the mystery of God and the response
of man transformed. Yet, through the expression: “Lord of heaven
and earth”, we can also recognize that in Jesus, the Revealer of
the Father, the possibility for man to reach God is reopened. Let us now ask ourselves: to whom does the Son
want to reveal God’s mysteries? At the beginning of the Hymn
Jesus expresses his joy because the Father’s will is to keep
these things hidden from the learned and the wise and to reveal
them to little ones (cf. Lk 10:21). Thus in his prayer, Jesus
manifests his communion with the Father’s decision to disclose
his mysteries to the simple of heart: the Son’s will is one with
the Father’s.
Divine revelation is not brought about in
accordance with earthly logic, which holds that cultured and
powerful people possess important knowledge and pass it on to
simpler people, to little ones. God used a quite different
approach: those to whom his communication was addressed were,
precisely, “babes”. This is the Father’s will, and the Son
shares it with him joyfully. The Catechism of the Catholic
Church says: “His exclamation, ‘Yes, Father!’ expresses the
depth of his heart, his adherence to the Father’s ‘good
pleasure,’ echoing his mother’s ‘Fiat’ at the time of his
conception and prefiguring what he will say to the Father in his
agony. The whole prayer of Jesus is contained in this loving
adherence of his human heart to the ‘mystery of the will’ of the
Father (Eph 1:9)” (n. 2603).
The invocation that we address to God in the
“Our Father” derives from this: “Thy will be done on earth as it
is in heaven”: together with Christ and in Christ we too ask to
enter into harmony with the Father’s will, thereby also becoming
his children. Thus Jesus, in this “Cry of Exultation”,
expresses his will to involve in his own filial knowledge of God
all those whom the Father wishes to become sharers in it; and
those who welcome this gift are the “little ones”.
But what does “being little” and simple mean?
What is the “littleness” that opens man to filial intimacy with
God so as to receive his will? What must the fundamental
attitude of our prayer be? Let us look at “The Sermon on the
Mount”, in which Jesus says: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for
they shall see God” (Mt 5:8). It is purity of heart that permits
us to recognize the face of God in Jesus Christ; it is having a
simple heart like the heart of a child, free from the
presumption of those who withdraw into themselves, thinking they
have no need of anyone, not even God.
It is also interesting to notice the occasion on
which Jesus breaks into this hymn to the Father. In Matthew’s
Gospel narrative it is joyful because, in spite of opposition
and rejection, there are “little ones” who accept his word and
open themselves to the gift of faith in him. The “Cry of
Exultation” is in fact preceded by the contrast between the
praise of John the Baptist — one of the “little ones” who
recognized God’s action in Jesus Christ (cf. Mt 11:2-19) — and
the reprimand for the disbelief of the lake cities “where most
of his mighty works had been performed” (cf. Mt 11:20-24).
Hence Matthew saw the Exultation in relation to
the words with which Jesus noted the effectiveness of his word
and action: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind
receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and
the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have
good news of the Gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who
takes no offence at me” (Mt 11:4-6).
St Luke also presented the Cry of Exultation in
connection with a moment of development in the proclamation of
the Gospel. Jesus sent out the “seventy-two” others (Luke 10:1)
and they departed fearful of the possible failure of their
mission. Luke also emphasized the rejection encountered in the
cities where the Lord had preached and had worked miracles.
Nonetheless the seventy-two disciples returned full of joy
because their mission had met with success; they realized that
human infirmities are overcome with the power of Jesus’ word.
Jesus shared their pleasure: “in that same hour”, at that very
moment, he rejoiced. There are still two elements that I would like
to underline. Luke the Evangelist introduces the prayer with the
annotation: Jesus “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit” (Lk 10:21).
Jesus rejoiced from the depths of his being, in what counted
most: his unique communion of knowledge and love with the Father,
the fullness of the Holy Spirit. By involving us in his sonship,
Jesus invites us too to open ourselves to the light of the Holy
Spirit, since — as the Apostle Paul affirms — “we do not know
how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for
us with sighs too deep for words… according to the will of God”
(Rom 8:26-27), and reveals the Father’s love to us.
In Matthew’s Gospel, following the Cry of
Exultation, we find one of Jesus’ most heartfelt appeals:
“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest” (Mt 11:28). Jesus asks us to go to him, for he is true
Wisdom, to him who is “gentle and lowly in heart”. He offers us
“his yoke”, the way of the wisdom of the Gospel which is neither
a doctrine to be learned nor an ethical system but rather a
Person to follow: he himself, the Only Begotten Son in perfect
communion with the Father.
Dear brothers and sisters, we have experienced
for a moment the wealth of this prayer of Jesus. With the gift
of his Spirit we too can turn to God in prayer with the
confidence of children, calling him by the name Father, “Abba”.
However, we must have the heart of little ones, of the “poor in
spirit” (Mt 5:3) in order to recognize that we are not
self-sufficient, that we are unable to build our lives on our
own but need God, that we need to encounter him, to listen to
him, to speak to him. Prayer opens us to receiving the gift of
God, his wisdom, which is Jesus himself, in order to do the
Father’s will in our lives and thus to find rest in the
hardships of our journey. Many thanks.
Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407), priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church. In Sermons on Saint Matthew’s Gospel, no.38, 1 says: “You have revealed them to the childlike, I give praise to you,” Jesus says, “because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned.” What? Is he glad at the loss of those who don’t believe in him? Certainly not. How wonderful are God’s designs for people’s salvation! When they turn away from the truth and refuse to accept it, God never forces them but lets them be. Their wandering away stimulates them to find the path again. Returning to their senses, they hastily seek out the grace of the call to faith they had rejected before. As for those who had remained faithful, their devotion becomes even stronger like this. So Christ is glad these things are revealed to some but saddened they are hidden from others. This is made known when he weeps over the city (Lk 19,41). Saint Paul writes in the same spirit: “Thanks be to God! You were once slaves of sin but you have become obedient from the heart” to the Gospel (Rom 6,17)…
comments by Jesuit Fr. Rodney Kissinger, S.J:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.”
Every Christian, especially theologians, priests and religious, should have this saying of Jesus framed and kept on their desk.
We live in an information centered society. We have a lust for knowledge; we want to know. This lust for knowledge has created what is called “info mania.” This “info mania” has spread into religion. We want to know and the one we want to know most and be most certain of is God. This can set us off on a wild goose chase, on a mission impossible. I know because am a victim of that “wild goose chase.”
St Anselm defined theology as faith seeking understanding. Understanding does not mean comprehension. Faith gives us mysteries that cannot be discovered by reason and once we know them by faith we still do not understand them. If we understood the mystery it would no longer be a mystery. What we understand is that it is a mystery and why it is a mystery. For example, if you understand the Trinity you don’t understand it because it is unintelligible. God always remains the “Incomprehensible Obvious.”
“You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and have revealed them to the childlike.”
What does it mean to be childlike? It doesn’t mean to be childish.
-> It means TO BE TOTALLY IMMERSED IN THE PRESENT. A child does not have a past to feel guilty about. A child knows nothing about the future to worry about. So they live in the present, in the real world, which is the only reality. That is why they can learn and assimilate so quickly. Adult waste so much and time and energy on the past and the future both of which do not exist.
-> It means TO HAVE A SENSE OF WONDER. Nothing is dull or complacent to a child, everything is new and exciting. They live in a magic kingdom where there are tongues in trees, books in running brooks and good in everything. They find themselves the center of a wonderful world. They want to know about everything. Their constant question is why. Adults have lost their sense of wonder. They have been there, done that, it is all the “same old same old.” They live in a dull, monotonous world where they are bored to death.
-> It means TO EXPERIENCE AN UNCONDITIONAL LOVE of their parents which is not based on their possessions or achievements. Most adults do not experience the unconditional love of God and therefore base their security on their possessions and achievements. They base their security on wealth, health, laws, insurance, weapons, treaties, stocks and bonds, on the stars, tea leaves, and crystal balls.
But you say how can I be childlike? I am an adult. I do have a past for which I feel guilty and a future about which I worry. I have been there and done that. And I feel unlovable so how can anyone love me unconditionally?
Our faith makes it possible to be childlike. I can live in the present because my faith assures me that I have the mercy of God for the past and the providence of God for the future. I can have a sense of wonder because faith ushers us into a wonderful world that is more mysterious and more romantic than we world of the senses. I can have a sense of security which is based on the unconditional love of God because my faith tells me that God loves me unconditionally with a love I cannot earn or ever be worthy of. And God loves me for myself, not as I could be or should be but as I really am with all of the physical warts, psychological quirks and spiritual infidelities.
“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 18:3) Such is the kingdom of God; such is the wonderful world of reality: to live in the present, to have a sense of awe and wonder and to have our security rooted firmly in the fidelity of the love of God.
comments by Pope John Paul II (Holy Father's General Audience Address of December 17, 1997):
Those who lived in Jesus' time and had the joy of being close to him, seeing him and hearing him were particularly fortunate. Jesus himself calls them blessed: "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it" (Lk 10:23-24).
Jesus invites disciples to see beyond the senses:
The formula "I tell you" makes it clear that the affirmation goes beyond mere observation of a historical fact. What Jesus says is a word of revelation which sheds light on the profound meaning of history. In the past that precedes him, Jesus does not only see the external events that prepare his coming; he looks at the deep aspirations of hearts which underlie those events and anticipate their final outcome.
The majority of Jesus' contemporaries are unaware of their privilege. They see and hear the Messiah without recognizing him as the Saviour for whom they hoped. They address him without realizing they are speaking to God's Anointed foretold by the prophets.
In saying: "what you see", "what you hear", Jesus invites them to perceive the mystery, going beyond the veil of the senses. He helps his disciples especially to penetrate it: "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God" (Mk 4:11).
Our faith, based precisely on the disciples' witness, is rooted in their gradual discovery of the mystery. We do not have the privilege of seeing and hearing Jesus, as was possible during the time of his earthly life, but with faith we receive the immeasurable grace of entering into the mystery of Christ and his kingdom.
The Great Commandment (Luke 10:25-28)
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| José Garnelo y Alda - Spring of Love (1901) |
26 Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?"
27 He said in reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."
28 He replied to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live."
comments by Dr. Mary Healy, professor of Scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit:
Jesus responds by quoting Deut 6:4-5, the great Israelite confession of faith known as the Shema (Hebrew for "hear"): Hear, 0 Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! (Mark 12:29) By the time ofJesus, this statement was understood to mean that YHWH is not only the one God of the Jews but the one and only God of the whole universe.
To love God is to have a profound reverence and affection for him, to give ourselves over to him and desire to please him above all else. Jesus is spelling out what he had said earlier about repaying to God what belongs to him (12:17).
Jesus uses four terms that, taken together, signify not distinct faculties or parts of the human being but different ways of referring to the whole person. The heart (kardia) is the inner depths of a person, the wellspring from which all our decisions and actions flow (see 7:19). The soul (psyche) is our whole self as a living being, that which Jesus said we must be willing to give up for his sake (8:35) and which he will give up for our sake (10:45). Jesus adds another term, mind, to emphasize that even our thoughts and reasoning must be animated by love for God. The last phrase, with all your strength, emphasizes that love for God is not a sentiment that arises spontaneously, but a commitment that calls for every ounce of our energy. How can such love without measure be possible? Only by our first knowing and experiencing God's love for us (Rom 5:5,8; 1 John 4:11).
The second part of Jesus' response quotes Lev 19:18: You shall love your 12:31 neighbor as yourself.
The Torah was full of commandments-613 of them, according to later rabbinic tradition-and it was common in scribal discussions to look for the one general statement or overriding principle that would summarize and ground them all.
Jesus is the first one known to have explicitly combined these two commandments. But they are the foundations underlying the first three and last seven commandments of the tDecalogue respectively (Exod 20:2-11, 12-17). His implication is that they are inseparable: our love for God is concretized and expressed in our love for fellow human beings (see 1 John 4: 11, 20-21). To love others "as yourself" means to make their well-being as high a priority as your own (see Phil 2:3-4)-a very demanding standard. Although in its original context "neighbor" meant one's fellow Israelite, elsewhere Jesus makes clear that our love must extend to every person without limit (Matt 5:43-44; Luke 10:29-37), since the one God is God of all.
Jesus concludes: There is no other commandment greater than these. The rest of the law merely spells out how to love God and neighbor. To fulfill this twofold commandment perfectly would be to fulfill the entire law (see Rom 13:8-10; James 2:8).
comments by Thomas S. Washburn, Franciscan Friar (a friar's life https://afriarslife.blogspot.de):
We heard Jesus proclaim the Christian Golden Rule, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” This Golden Rule is well known to us, but it is not just a Christian thing. Nearly every religion and culture in the world has the Golden Rule in one form or another. For example, in Judaism, they say, “What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man.” In Buddhism, “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” In Hinduism, “Do nothing unto others which would cause you pain if done to you.” And in Islam, “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.”
So, why did Jesus spend so much time teaching it as if it was a new thing? Well, it’s because as so often happens, Jesus gives us a completely new understanding of this well-known command. And the key difference in the Christian understanding comes from that simple question asked today, “Who is my neighbor?”
You see, among the Jews of Jesus' time there were those who understood “neighbor” in a very limited way. One group, the Essenes, for example, required new members to swear to love the sons of light and hate the sons of darkness. For them, your neighbor is limited to those who share your religious view; you have no obligation to the rest. Other groups, like the Zealots, understood neighbor to include only those of the same nationality or ethnicity. And so, in our Gospel passage today, they would not regard the Samaritan as a neighbor; Samaritans are outsiders and the circle of neighborly love clearly does not include them. Jesus came into a world of “us” and “them,” “us” being the circle of those recognized as neighbors, and “them” being the rest of the world regarded as hostile strangers and enemies.
This radically different interpretation of the Golden Rule in Jesus' teaching of neighborly love is in His insistence that all humanity is really one big neighborhood; just like Mr. Rogers. Jesus broke down the walls of division and the borders of prejudice and suspicion that humans have erected between “us” and “them” throughout time. To bring home this point He tells the story of the Good Samaritan. This man regarded as Enemy Number One by the establishment for no other reason than that he is a Samaritan, is ironically the one who truly proves himself to be neighbor to the Jewish man in need. Thus to the question “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus offers new and challenging answer to His hearers: Anyone and everyone is your neighbor – without exception.
In our own world – whether during times of war or debates over immigration law - we need to be reminded that everyone is our neighbor – even the enemy; even the immigrant; even the one we don’t like or who doesn’t like us. They are our neighbor and we must offer them mercy. We must overcome our tendency to likewise think in terms of “us” and “them” and instead heed the command of Jesus today to, “Go and do likewise” – to offer mercy, to treat everyone with respect, to be neighbor to the world.
Jesus reminds us that our understanding of neighbor must be expanded to include even the so-called “nobodies” of society. The Christian understanding of “neighbor” has no borders or boundaries. Today we are called to identify and tear down all the borders we have erected between those who belong to us (and are deemed deserving of our love and concern) and those who don't belong to us (those we somehow allow ourselves to ignore or marginalize). The Gospel today challenges us all to dismantle these walls. This way we work with Jesus to realize His dream of the world as a neighborhood without borders or boundaries.
Jesus' story tells us that when we truly love our neighbor, we must be willing to help no matter how the person got into their situation of need. It also shows us that our love and concern to help others in need must be practical. Good intentions and empathizing with others is not enough; we must do good to one another. And lastly, our love for others must be as wide as God's love. No one is excluded. God's love is unconditional. So we must be ready to do good to others for their sake, just as God is good to us.
Jesus said, “Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” (Luke 10:36-37) He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” Let us love our neighbors as ourselves without restriction, without boundaries. Please won’t you be my neighbor?
Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37)
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| The Good Samaritan (1890) by Jose Tapiro Baro |
30 Jesus replied, "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.
31 A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
32 Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
33 But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight.
34 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.
35 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.'
36 Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?"
37 He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
In the time of Jesus, the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was notorious for its danger and difficulty, and was known as the "Way of Blood" because "of the blood which is often shed there by robbers. The Samaritans are adherents of Samaritanism, an Abrahamic religion closely related to Judaism. Samaritans and Jews generally despised each other, but the Samaritan helps the injured man. Jesus is described as telling the parable in response to a question regarding the identity of the "neighbour".
Portraying a Samaritan in positive light would have come as a shock to Jesus' audience. It is typical of his provocative speech in which conventional expectations are inverted.
The parable is an example of the ethics of Jesus, which have won nearly universal praise, even from those outside the Church. The parable has inspired painting, sculpture, poetry, and film. The colloquial phrase "good Samaritan" meaning someone who helps a stranger, derives from this parable, and many hospitals and charitable organizations are named after the Good Samaritan.
commentary by Pablo T. Gadenz, Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Trenton (NJ) :
The Samaritans descended from the Israelites of the northern tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. However, Jews regarded them as having doubtful lineage on account of intermarriage with the Gentile peoples imported by the Assyrians after they conquered the northern kingdom in 721 BC and sent some Israelites into exile (2 Kings 17:6-24; 2 Chron 30:6-11). Besides these ethnic tensions, there was an enduring religious rift associated with the Samaritans’ worship on Mount Gerizim rather than at the Jerusalem temple (John 4:20). The Hasmonean Jewish ruler John Hyrcanus destroyed the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim around 111 BC. Later, under the Roman prefect Coponius (AD 6-9), some Samaritans struck back by littering the Jerusalem temple with human bones at Passover, thus defiling it. Moreover, when Cumanus was the Roman procurator (AD 48-52), Samaritans from the border village of Ginae killed a group of Galileans passing through Samaria on the way to Jerusalem for a feast.
This background of hostility explains the rejection of Jesus by the Samaritan villagers (Luke 9:53) but also makes the parable of the good Samaritan (10:29-37) particularly effective for teaching love of neighbor. Jesus’ healing often lepers also breaks down the enmity, as one of them—a Samaritan—returns to thank him (17:11-19). These passages set the stage for the Acts of the Apostles, where the gospel is proclaimed to Samaria (Acts 1:8; 8:4-25). In the new community that emerges in the land of Israel, the long-standing animosity can be overcome: “The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace” (Acts 9:31). The regathering of the Samaritans thus forms part of the program of Israel’s restoration in Luke-Acts.
comments by Pope John Paul II ("The World Day of the Sick 2000"):
By following the example of her divine Founder, the Church, "from century to century ... has re-enacted the Gospel parable of the Good Samaritan, revealing and communicating her healing love and the consolation of Jesus Christ.... This came about through the untiring commitment of the Christian community and all those who have taken care of the sick and suffering ... as well as the skilled and generous service of health-care workers" (Christifideles laici, n. 53). This commitment does not derive from specific social situations, nor should it be understood as an optional or fortuitous act, but is an intransgressible response to Christ's command: "he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity" (Mt 10:1, cf. 7-8).
The service rendered to the person who is suffering in body and soul takes its meaning from the Eucharist, finding in it not only its source but also its norm. It was not by chance that Jesus closely united the Eucharist with service (Jn 13:2-16), asking the disciples to perpetuate in memory of him not only the "breaking of the bread", but also the "washing of the feet".
The example of Christ, the good Samaritan, must inspire the believer's attitude, prompting him to be "close" to his brothers and sisters who are suffering, through respect, understanding, acceptance, tenderness, compassion and gratuitousness. It is a question of fighting the indifference that makes individuals and groups withdraw selfishly into themselves. To this end, "the family, the school and other educational institutions must, if only for humanitarian reasons, work perseveringly for the reawakening and refining of that sensitivity towards one's neighbour and his suffering" (Salvifici doloris, n. 29). For the believer, this human sensitivity is expressed in the agape, that is, in supernatural love, which brings one to love one's neighbour for love of God. In fact, guided by faith and surrounding with affectionate care those who are afflicted by human suffering, the Church recognizes in them the image of her poor and suffering Founder and is concerned to alleviate their suffering, mindful of his words: "I was sick and you visited me" (Mt 25:36). The example of Jesus, the good Samaritan, not only spurs one to help the sick, but also to do all one can to reintegrate him in society. For Christ, in fact, healing is also this reintegration: just as sickness excludes the human being from the community, so healing must bring him to rediscover his place in the family, in the Church and in society.
Jesus did not only treat and heal the sick, but he was also a tireless promoter of health through his saving presence, teaching and action. His love for man was expressed in relationships full of humanity, which led him to understand, to show compassion and bring comfort, harmoniously combining tenderness and strength. He was moved by the beauty of nature, he was sensitive to human suffering, he fought evil and injustice. He faced the negative aspects of this experience courageously and, fully aware of the implications, communicated the certainty of a new world. In him, the human condition showed its face redeemed and the deepest human aspirations found fulfillment.
He wants to communicate this harmonious fullness of life to people today. His saving action not only aims to meet the needs of human people, victims of their own limits and errors, but to sustain their efforts for total self-fulfillment. He opens the prospect of divine life to man: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn 10:10).
Called to continue Jesus' mission, the Church must seek to promote a full and ordered life for everyone.
comments by Pope Benedict XVI (JN):
The story of the Good Samaritan concerns the fundamental human question. A lawyer—a master of exegesis, in other words—poses this question to the Lord: “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Lk 10:25). Luke comments that the scholar addresses this question to Jesus in order to put him to the test. Being a Scripture scholar himself, he knows how the Bible answers his question, but he wants to see what this prophet without formal biblical studies has to say about it. The Lord very simply refers him to the Scripture, which of course he knows, and gets him to give the answer himself. The scholar does so by combining Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, and he is right on target: “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” (Lk 10:27). Jesus’ teaching on this question is no different from that of the Torah, the entire meaning of which is contained in this double commandment. But now the learned man, who knew the answer to his own question perfectly well, has to justify himself. What the Scripture says is uncontroversial, but how it is to be applied in practice in daily life raises questions that really were controversial among scholars (and in everyday life).
The concrete question is who is meant by “neighbor.” The conventional answer, for which scriptural support could be adduced, was that “neighbor” meant a fellow member of one’s people. A people is a community of solidarity in which everyone bears responsibility for everyone else. In this community, each member is sustained by the whole, and so each member is expected to look on every other member “as himself,” as a part of the same whole that gives him the space in which to live his life. Does this mean, then, that foreigners, men belonging to another people, are not neighbors? This would go against Scripture, which insisted upon love for foreigners also, mindful of the fact that Israel itself had lived the life of a foreigner in Egypt. It remained a matter of controversy, though, where the boundaries were to be drawn. Generally speaking, only the “sojourner” living among the people was reckoned as a member of the community of solidarity and so as a “neighbor.”
Now that the question has been focused in this way, Jesus answers it with the parable of the man on the way from Jerusalem to Jericho who falls among robbers, is stripped of everything, and then is left lying half dead on the roadside. That was a perfectly realistic story, because such assaults were a regular occurrence on the Jericho road. A priest and a Levite—experts in the Law who know about salvation and are its professional servants—come along, but they pass by without stopping. There is no need to suppose that they were especially cold-hearted people; perhaps they were afraid themselves and were hurrying to get to the city as quickly as possible, or perhaps they were inexpert and did not know how to go about helping the man—especially since it looked as though he was quite beyond help anyway. At this point a Samaritan comes along, presumably a merchant who often has occasion to traverse this stretch of road and is evidently acquainted with the proprietor of the nearest inn; a Samaritan—someone, in other words, who does not belong to Israel’s community of solidarity and is not obliged to see the assault victim as his “neighbor.”
Seeing this man in such a state is a blow that strikes him “viscerally,” touching his soul. “He had compassion”—that is how we translate the text today, diminishing its original vitality. Struck in his soul by the lightning flash of mercy, he himself now becomes a neighbor, heedless of any question or danger. The burden of the question thus shifts here. The issue is no longer which other person is a neighbor to me or not. The question is about me. I have to become the neighbor, and when I do, the other person counts for me “as myself.”
If the question had been “Is the Samaritan my neighbor, too?” the answer would have been a pretty clear-cut no given the situation at the time. But Jesus now turns the whole matter on its head: The Samaritan, the foreigner, makes himself the neighbor and shows me that I have to learn to be a neighbor deep within and that I already have the answer in myself. I have to become like someone in love, someone whose heart is open to being shaken up by another’s need. Then I find my neighbor, or—better—then I am found by him.
The topical relevance of the parable is evident. When we transpose it into the dimensions of world society, we see how the peoples of Africa, lying robbed and plundered, matter to us. Then we see how deeply they are our neighbors; that our lifestyle, the history in which we are involved, has plundered them and continues to do so. This is true above all in the sense that we have wounded their souls. Instead of giving them God, the God who has come close to us in Christ, which would have integrated and brought to completion all that is precious and great in their own traditions, we have given them the cynicism of a world without God in which all that counts is power and profit, a world that destroys moral standards so that corruption and unscrupulous will to power are taken for granted. And that applies not only to Africa.
We do of course have material assistance to offer and we have to examine our own way of life. But we always give too little when we just give material things. And aren’t we surrounded by people who have been robbed and battered? The victims of drugs, of human trafficking, of sex tourism, inwardly devastated people who sit empty in the midst of material abundance. All this is of concern to us, it calls us to have the eye and the heart of a neighbor, and to have the courage to love our neighbor, too. For—as we have said—the priest and the Levite may have passed by more out of fear than out of indifference. The risk of goodness is something we must relearn from within, but we can do that only if we ourselves become good from within, if we ourselves are “neighbors” from within, and if we then have an eye for the sort of service that is asked of us, that is possible for us, and is therefore also expected of us, in our environment and within the wider ambit of our lives.
The Church Fathers understood the parable Christologically. That is an allegorical reading, one might say—an interpretation that bypasses the text. The Fathers see the parable in terms of world history: Is not the man who lies half dead and stripped on the roadside an image of “Adam,” of man in general, who truly “fell among robbers”? Is it not true that man, this creature man, has been alienated, battered, and misused throughout his entire history? The road from Jerusalem to Jericho thus turns out to be an image of human history; the half-dead man lying by the side of it is an image of humanity. Priest and Levite pass by; from earthly history alone, from its cultures and religions alone, no healing comes. If the assault victim is the image of Everyman, the Samaritan can only be the image of Jesus Christ. God himself, who for us is foreign and distant, has set out to take care of his wounded creature. God, though so remote from us, has made himself our neighbor in Jesus Christ. He pours oil and wine into our wounds, a gesture seen as an image of the healing gift of the sacraments, and he brings us to the inn, the Church, in which he arranges our care and also pays a deposit for the cost of that care.
The great vision that sees man lying alienated and helpless by the roadside of history and God himself becoming man’s neighbor in Jesus Christ is one that we can happily retain, as a deeper dimension of the parable that is of concern to us. The two characters in this story are relevant to every single human being. Everyone is “alienated,” especially from love (which, after all, is the essence of the “supernatural splendor” of which we have been despoiled); everyone must first be healed and filled with God’s gifts. But then everyone is also called to become a Samaritan—to follow Christ and become like him. When we do that, we live rightly. We love rightly when we become like him, who loved all of us first (cf. 1 Jn 4:19).
Jesus at the home of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42)
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| Christ With Martha and Maria (1886) by Henryk Siemiradzki |
39 She had a sister named Mary (who) sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
40 Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me."
41 The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
42 There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her."
The story of Martha and Mary further illustrates the importance of hearing the words of the teacher and the concern with women in Luke. Sat beside the Lord at his feet: it is remarkable for first-century Palestinian Judaism that a woman would assume the posture of a disciple at the master's feet and it reveals a characteristic attitude of Jesus toward women in this gospel. Jesus gently rebukes Martha for being "worried and distracted" by her many tasks and her resentment of Mary's behavior. Jesus tells her that she has lost her focus; she needs only one thing. And what is that one thing? The answer is in the story of the Good Samaritan, which precedes this one. Martha needs to focus on loving God and her neighbor as herself; to do this one thing is to choose the better part, to be a disciple of Jesus.
Mary is sitting at the feet of Christ, fully listening to what He has to say and in a sense, growing in relationship with Him. This relationship is growing because she is in His Presence, giving Him her full attention, and not being distracted by any other cares or worries. Mary isn't distracted by petty passing things that won't matter in the end, but she realizes that true fulfillment and eternal life is found only in Christ. However, it is a choice. The verse clearly states that "Mary has chosen the better part." She could have been distracted and anxious, but she chose to immerse herself in Christ instead.
comments by Edward Sri, professor of theology and Scripture:
Worry dominates the hearts of many Christians. We worry about the future, our job, our finances, our reputation. While being concerned about these basic human matters is important, we can become preoccupied with them in a way that is unhealthy for our spiritual lives. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, concern for an earthly affair can become sinful if we view it as an end in itself, as for example, in thinking to oneself, “I can’t be happy without this job, without this relationship, without this level of income.” Concern over earthly things is also sinful if the worry distracts us from the spiritual life. We can become so preoccupied by a problem or decision that the worry dominates our thoughts, even at Mass and prayer—such that we begin to neglect the worship we owe God. And in constantly trying to solve our problem we fail to listen to what God may be trying to teach us in this particular moment of difficulty.
In moments of anxiety we can find encouragement from Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus reminds us that our heavenly Father provides for us and always brings whatever is best for us. If we truly place our trust in God’s plan for our lives, all other things will fall into their proper place. Thus Jesus says, “Seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.” Having confidence in the Father can be a source of great peace and joy, liberating us from the fear and worry that might otherwise plague our lives.
commentary by Pablo T. Gadenz, Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Trenton (NJ) :
Martha is burdened or “distracted” (RSV) on account of much serving. Certainly, Martha’s efforts to serve her special guest are all well and good (see 4:39; 8:3). Indeed, she is following Old Testament precedent: the widow of Zarephath and the woman of Shunem gave such hospitality to the prophets Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17:10-16; 2 Kings 4:8). However, there is already a hint of her shortcoming in the description. Since there is so “much” to do, she is distracted and too busy to pay attention to Jesus’ words. Her concern also leads her to want to take her sister away from Jesus, whom she asks to intervene: Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? She follows up her question, which expects a yes answer, with a command: tell her to help me.
In response, Jesus corrects her as earlier he corrected James and John (Luke 9:55). Affectionately repeating her name (see 22:31)45—Martha, Martha—he points out what is wrong with her fretful activity: you are anxious and worried. In the parable of the sower, Jesus had warned that anxieties can, like thorns, choke a person’s response to the word (8:14). He later cautions against being anxious (12:22, 25-26) and allowing oneself to be weighed down with the anxieties of life (21:34).
Certainly, Martha’s anxieties spring from her desire to serve Jesus, not from the pursuit of sinful pleasures also mentioned in these other verses. However, Jesus' teaching about not being anxious has general application.
Second, he explains why Mary’s behavior is proper. Whereas Martha is concerned about many things, Jesus explains that only one thing is necessary: listening to him. In other words, the aspect that takes priority when Jesus is “welcomed” (10:38) is welcoming—in other words, listening to—his message of salvation, as Mary was doing. This is the better part (“the good portion,” RSV) that Mary, like “good soil” (8:8, 15), has chosen (see 9:35).
Interestingly, Lydia in Acts makes the right combination, responding like both Mary and Martha. First, she “listened” to the gospel message preached by Paul and then offered hospitality to him and his companions (Acts 16:14-15).
Active and contemplative: From early on in Christian history, Martha and Mary have been understood as signifying the active life and the contemplative life. For contemporary Christians, it is helpful to emphasize the unity of these two dimensions of their lives: union with God through prayer overflows into all one’s activities, so that they bear fruit (see John 15:5).
comments by Pope Francis (Angelus service 21st July 2013):
What does Jesus wish to say? Above all it is important to understand that it is not a matter of two contrasting attitudes: listening to the Word of the Lord – contemplation – and concrete service to our neighbour. They are not two opposed attitudes but, on the contrary, they are both aspects that are essential for our Christian life; aspects that must never be separated but rather lived in profound unity and harmony.
So why does Jesus rebuke Martha? Because she considered only what she was doing to be essential; she was too absorbed and worried about things to 'do'. For a Christian, the works of service and charity are never detached from the principle source of our action: that is, listening to the Word of the Lord, sitting – like Mary – at Jesus’ feet in the attitude of a disciple. And for this reason Mary is rebuked.
In our Christian life too prayer and action are always profoundly united. Prayer that does not lead to concrete action toward a brother who is poor, sick, in need of help … is a sterile and incomplete prayer. But, in the same way, when in ecclesial service we are only concerned with what we are doing, we give greater weight to things, functions and structures, forgetting the centrality of Christ; we do not set aside time for dialogue with Him in prayer, we run the risk of serving ourselves and not God, present in our brother in need.
Let us ask the Virgin Mary, Mother of listening and service, who teaches us to meditate on the Word of her Son in our heart, to pray with fidelity, and to be ever more concretely attentive to the needs of our brothers.
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