1 John 4:20
If a man says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
A doctor of the law wanting to put Jesus to the test, asked him this question. Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said to him: what is written in the law? This doctor answered: you shall love the Lord your God, with your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. You answered correctly, told him Jesus; do this and you will live. Wanting to justify himself he asked Jesus: and who is my neighbor? (Read this parable in the book of Luc 10:25,37) This question is also asked to us: who is our neighbor?
Jesus answered him with a parable, explaining to him: a man descended from Jerusalem to Jericho. This man fell among the robbers who stripped him and beat him, leaving him half dead. Jesus continued the parable, saying: a priest and a Levite passed without worrying about this man. But a Samaritan who had compassion for him and took care of him. In the end, Jesus asked the doctor for the law. Which of these three do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man fell among the robbers? The doctor of the law replied to him: the one who showed him mercy. Jesus says, go and do the same.
A doctor of the law is someone who oversaw teaching and explaining the law of Moses.
A priest was a servant of God acting on behalf of the Congregation, as intermediary between God and people.
A Levite was a member of the tribe of Levi, dedicated to the service of the temple.
These people are people of great importance in the religious society.
A Samaritan was someone of origin from Samaria. It is a mixture of Israelite and different people who came to Israel. This people were part of a sect practicing a corrupt Judaism.
These religious persons considered themselves to be people loving God and they had a big role in religious society, but they had done nothing for the man who was the victim of the robbers. It was the Samaritan who had mercy for man. It was the Samaritan who had love for this man. It was the Samaritan who had applied the word of God. Jesus gives you a new commandment: love one another; as I have loved you, you too, love each other. John 13:34.
Our religious titles do not make you men or women loving God. Your way of life must reflect the word of God and this behavior must come out from heart. We who believe in God, we are the light of the world, the salt of the earth.
Live in a way that shows our love for God by loving one another.
Amen.
Source Divine Ministries.
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