Christ The Servant
Catholic Church
Cold Springs, Ontario
Homily Selections
Homily for Christian Unity Week
Martin Luther King used this phrase in alluding to the Gospel “Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness”. As we heard in the Gospel that Olavi read, we learned that one day a man came to Jesus, and he wanted to raise some questions about some vital matters of life. He may have tried to trick Jesus, and show him that he knew a little more than Jesus knew and throw him off base....
Now this circumstance could have easily ended up in a philosophical and theological debate. But Jesus immediately pulled that question from mid-air, and placed it on a dangerous curve between Jerusalem and Jericho. Jesus speaks about a certain man, who fell among thieves. You remember that a Levite and a priest passed by on the other side. They didn't stop to help him. And finally a man of another race came by. He got down from his beast, decided not to be compassionate by proxy. But he got down with him, administered first aid, and helped the man in need. Jesus ended up saying, this was the good man, this was the great man, because he had the capacity to project the "I" into the "thou," and to be concerned about his brother.
Why is it that the priest and the Levite didn't stop. Maybe they were busy going to a temple meeting, an ecclesiastical gathering, and they had to get on down to Jerusalem so they wouldn't be late for their meeting. We could speculate that there was a religious law that "One who was engaged in religious ceremonials was not to touch a human body twenty-four hours before the ceremony." And every now and then we begin to wonder whether maybe they were not going down to Jerusalem -- or down to Jericho, rather to organize a "Jericho Road Improvement Association." That's a possibility. Maybe they felt that it was better to deal with the problem from the causal root, rather than to get bogged down with an individual effect.
But I'm going to tell you what my imagination tells me. It's possible that those men were afraid. You see, the Jericho road is a dangerous road. I remember when I was first in Jerusalem. We were in a small tour bus and drove from Jerusalem down to Jericho. In traveling this road I, like Dr. King, could see why Jesus used this as the setting for his parable." It's a winding, meandering road. It's really conducive for ambushing. You start out in Jerusalem, 1200 feet above sea level. And by the time you get down to Jericho, fifteen or twenty minutes later, you're about 2200 feet below sea level. That's a dangerous road. In the days of Jesus it came to be known as the "Bloody Pass." And you know, it's possible that the priest and the Levite looked over that man on the ground and wondered if the robbers were still around. Or it's possible that they felt that the man on the ground was merely faking. And he was acting like he had been robbed and hurt, in order to seize them over there, lure them there for quick and easy seizure. And so the first question that the priest asked -- the first question that the Levite asked was, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?"
That's the question before us always. Not, "If I stop to help the poor, what will happen to my job. Not, "If I stop to help the disenfranchised, the outcasts, the marginalized, what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor, or as lawyer, or in any profession or job" The question is not, "If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?" The question is, "If I do not stop to help those in need, what will happen to them?" That's the question. You can add to that another question: What will happen to me if I do NOT stop to help? What does it say about US if we do not stop. Because you are here today and have participated in the food drive, you know...you know the answer.
When we accept Jesus’ message we begin to know the answers to the questions. But there is even more than just knowing in terms of knowledge. There is spirituality. I ask that each of you turn and look at what we have done with some effort, at the food collected that there is a need for. That makes us, as a group and as individuals feel good.
We can leave here today feeling like a good Samaritan. But that is the catch if I can phase it that way. You see, the Good Samaritan in the story followed up in helping, it was not a one time thing. That’s an important part of this message, it cannot be just a one time thing. That is the challenge in hearing Jesus’ message, we are bound to act as Christians.
We are, however, incredibly lucky...Jesus has taught us what is required, he has given us the remedy to help those in need and a remedy to help us fulfil a spiritual need: the need to help, the need for fulfilment. We have many opportunities...as individuals, as family, at school, in the workplace, certainly in our churches, we have opportunities to be Good Samaritans ...food bank, shelters, Haiti, wars, the environment, protection of animals... the list is endless.
Students would sometimes ask me “but I can’t help everyone”? That is true, but think of who you help individually, then think of a group effort, a class effort, a school effort, a church community effort...
Please allow me to share two personal experiences of how Jesus works: Amman and St. Bonaventure.
Miracles, and the Kingdom.
Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make the commitment to be strong followers of Jesus in framework of the Good Samaritan.
Who knows, maybe someday we can add to the welcome sign outside town limits: Welcome to Cobourg Home of the Good Samaritans!”.
I want to thank God, once more, for allowing me to be here with you.
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