Unbelievable & Unacceptable
The scribe wants to know who his neighbor is. During the time of Jesus, the Jewish people thought their neighbor were just people in their family. Jesus is always looking to the future. Sometime soon He will establish his Church and we will all become brothers and sisters.
We are all neighbors. Watching the news media, I wonder is there no good news to report? Everything seems so negative. Maybe that is what makes the news so unbelievable. We are just not that bad, are we?
If we saw someone badly hurt, we would stop and help them. If we saw someone with a flat tire, we would stop and help. If we saw someone at the checkout who did not have enough money to pay for what they wanted, we would help them. If we saw someone struggling to get through a door with their walker, we would help them.
The people listening to Jesus’ parable where shocked. They could not believe that their religious leaders would not help the hurt and bleeding person. They found their behavior unacceptable. Whenever we judge someone for their actions, we should also take the time to reflect on how we have acted in similar situations. Would we find ourselves to be unbelievable and unacceptable?
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen