GOSPEL READING
THE GOSPEL OF LUKE
Who is my Neighbour?: Lk 10,25-37
The parable of the Good Samaritan (10,30-37) is one of the most famous stories in the New Testament. We need to try and read it with fresh eyes and ears, to appreciate details we were perhaps not aware of before and so to allow it to speak to us with new life.
For a start, it is not good to read the parable without the discussion with the lawyer which introduces it (10,25-29). It is the setting of the parable which gives the story its edge.
It is also important to see how different this episode is compared with Mark's version, both in the way it is set up (Mk 12,28-31) and with what follows (Mk 12,32-34).
Also important is where this episode stands in the journey. Jesus begins his journey to Jerusalem, what is now taking place for the first time? We can note too that Luke has placed this episode earlier in the story than Mark.
We begin therefore with a lawyer (10,30): is he friendly? Who else tests Jesus - see 4,2. As a lawyer, what might we expect his interests to be?
What is his question? How is it different to the question in Mk 12,28? Note that this question is asked again in Luke: compare Lk 18,18 with Mk 10,17. Here the parallel is with Mk 12,28-34 but note that the atmosphere is quite different. Luke has made signifcant changes to Mark, not least with the way the answer is presented.
Jesus therefore replies with another question: see Leviticus 18,5. Replying to a question with a question is a typical rabbinical style.
To this question, the lawyer replies correctly: look up the quotations: Deuterononmy 6,5 and Leviticus 19,18. The lawyer's response is then affirmed by Jesus (9,28).
The lawyer though is not satisfied and so he asks another question. What do you think is the meaning of "wanting to justify himself"? What might be the correct answer about my neighbour on the lawyer's terms? Look closely at Leviticus 19,18 as well as Lev 19,33-34.
Look ahead now to 10,36 for Jesus' counter-question: once we've read the story we will see how Jesus has turned round the lawyer's question.
In the story told by Jesus, the man is left by the roadside naked and half dead. Why did the priest and the levite pass by as they did? Look at Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 12,1-7 and 50,25-26 for their attitudes. Did they necessarily lack compassion?
We've met Samaritans already (9,52): Samaritans were outcasts to Jews and each despised each other. (Indeed, we are not told just why a Samaritan was on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho but such are stories.) For compassion see 7,13.
Note finally the grudging answer of the lawyer in verse 37.
Now look at my response.
The Sunday Gospel
Jesus' discussion with the lawyer and the subsequent parable are read on the 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time.
The accompanying Old Testament reading is Deuteronomy 30,10-14. What do you think is the purpose of this reading in light of the Gospel?
Then read the Deuteronomy reading in its context, preferably the whole of chapter 30. How might this wider reading affect our approach to the Gospel reading?
Now look at my response.
We can now move on to another well known incident, Jesus' visit to Martha with her sister Mary, 10,38-42.