Do This and You Will Live

We all know the parable of the Good Samaritan.  We typically remember it as, “Do unto others..”  The actual words used in today’s Gospel are, Go and do likewise, referring to showing mercy as did the Samaritan.

Between these two statements, one that ‘opens’ todays Gospel and one that ‘closes’ it, is contained the fullness of what it means to be a Christian, a follower of Christ.

Our Lord’s statement, Do this and you will live, is pointed toward the ‘certain lawyer’s’ answer to our Lord’s asking him to interpret his own understanding of what scripture teaches about eternal salvation.  Each of us daily assesses What must I do (today) to be found worthy of entering into the Kingdom of Heaven—’Eternal Life’?  The answer given by the man is affirmed by God the Son.  The answer was, focusing on self, I must love the Lord my God with all my heart, all my soul, all my strength, and all my mind, and along with that, I must love my neighbor as myself.

Today’s focus is the ‘Good Samaritan,’ but let’s together delve into the first part of the man’s answer.

1) I must love God with all my heart:  What is the heart in terms of meaning to this commandment? In one sense, the heart is the source of our life.  While our hearts beat, we live.  In another sense it is the source of our bonding with others.  Love is a bond between hearts.  And so this commandment is saying to us that we must dedicate that which gives us life and that which gives us love FULLY—using all my heart—to loving my Lord and my God.

2) I must love God with all my soul:  The first part above dedicates everything physical about me to loving God.  This portion dedicated everything spiritual about me to loving Him.  I must use all my soul to love Him.

3) I must love God with all my strength:  Strength is a capacity to accomplish a goal.  St. Isaac the Syrian says, ‘Whoever prematurely begins a work that is above his strength receives nothing, but only brings harm upon himself.  I must expend all my capacity, all my effort to loving my Lord and my God!

4) I must love God with all my mind:  In short, I can’t be preoccupied with the things of THIS world.  I must have focus, dedicating all that effort in 3) by using my intellect to direct my love—towards my Lord and my God.

Finally, the last portion of the man’s answer puts meat on the bone of the first portion of the answer.  I must love my neighbor as myself.  If I were to accomplish (in my own evaluation of self) ALL of the previous four, but never reached out with my heart to my neighbor, never dedicated my spirit to serving my neighbor, never exerted my strength for the benefit of my neighbor, never focused on the needs of my neighbor as opposed to my own needs, or in my case too often my own desires, then they have all been done in vain!

Our Lord’s instructions to us to qualify as followers, to bear the Holy Name of ‘Christian’, are not so onerous.  Lord, give to us each day the heart, the soul, the strength, and the mind to love the least of Your brethren, for in loving them, we show our love for You.  Help us to find our paths to eternal life in Your heavenly Kingdom!

Glory to Jesus Christ!  Glory forever!