What Must I Do?

Gospel: Luke 10: 25-37

The lawyer wants to know what he must do in order to inherit eternal life.  The answer is to be like the Samaritan in this story Jesus tells - to care for those on the margins, those who are sick and dying.  The Samaritan did not stop to consider the man's racial or ethnic identities.  He did not see if the man had lawful status or not.  He did not look for any other reason to exclude him from his circle of care and concern.  He simply provided healing to this man in need.

On the other hand, the alleged religious people - the keepers of Temple ritual - did not hesitate in finding some reason to not help this poor man.  No doubt they regarded their religious duties of Temple worship as being more important than caring for the man.  They felt that maintaining ritual purity and performing the Temple rituals as prescribed was the way to inherit eternal life.  They may have even regarded their own safety as more important than helping this man.

A building made of stone cannot be saved by the use of oil and wine.  They are not living things with an eternal destiny.  God made only one temple of worship dedicated to him - the human person.  To provide oil and wine in order to heal, liberate, and nourish others in need is the only path to eternal life, the only authentic worship in spirit and in truth.  And to do so without freely without regard to a person's identity is the way of Jesus.