20201005 BEING RELIGIOUS BUT NOT LOVING
05 October, 2020, Monday, 27th Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: Green.
First reading |
Galatians 1:6-12 © |
The Good News I preached is not a human message but from Jesus Christ
I am astonished at the promptness with which you have turned away from the one who called you and have decided to follow a different version of the Good News. Not that there can be more than one Good News; it is merely that some troublemakers among you want to change the Good News of Christ; and let me warn you that if anyone preaches a version of the Good News different from the one we have already preached to you, whether it be ourselves or an angel from heaven, he is to be condemned. I am only repeating what we told you before: if anyone preaches a version of the Good News different from the one you have already heard, he is to be condemned. So now whom am I trying to please – man, or God? Would you say it is men’s approval I am looking for? If I still wanted that, I should not be what I am – a servant of Christ.
The fact is, brothers, and I want you to realise this, the Good News I preached is not a human message that I was given by men, it is something I learnt only through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 110(111):1-2,7-10 © |
The Lord keeps his covenant ever in mind.
or
Alleluia!
I will thank the Lord with all my heart
in the meeting of the just and their assembly.
Great are the works of the Lord,
to be pondered by all who love them.
The Lord keeps his covenant ever in mind.
or
Alleluia!
His works are justice and truth,
his precepts are all of them sure,
standing firm for ever and ever;
they are made in uprightness and truth.
The Lord keeps his covenant ever in mind.
or
Alleluia!
He has sent deliverance to his people
and established his covenant for ever.
Holy his name, to be feared.
His praise shall last for ever!
The Lord keeps his covenant ever in mind.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Jn6:63,68 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;
you have the message of eternal life.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn13:34 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I give you a new commandment:
love one another just as I have loved you,
says the Lord.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 10:25-37 © |
The good Samaritan
There was a lawyer who, to disconcert Jesus, stood up and said to him, ‘Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? What do you read there?’ He replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.’ ‘You have answered right,’ said Jesus ‘do this and life is yours.’
But the man was anxious to justify himself and said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of brigands; they took all he had, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead. Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan traveller who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him. He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked after him. Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said “and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have.” Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands‘ hands?’ ‘The one who took pity on him’ he replied. Jesus said to him, ‘Go, and do the same yourself.’
BEING RELIGIOUS BUT NOT LOVING
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [GALATIANS 1:6-12; LUKE 10:25-37 ]
In the first reading, St Paul wrote to the Galatians because there were some Judaizers who sought to impose the law of circumcision, and the accompanying Jewish laws and customs on the Greek converts to Christianity. In their view, although Christianity completes Judaism, yet the Mosaic Laws and the Jewish dietary laws were still necessary to be observed in order to be saved. In other words, although saved by Christ, they must become Jews in order to be included among the chosen People of God to inherit eternal life. Salvation, therefore, is by obedience to the laws.
Yet, the truth is that we would never able to fulfil the laws perfectly. The laws can only tell us what is sin but does not have the power to make us obey them. Governments, religions, and institutions can impose their laws but most of their members would break them or find loopholes to circumvent the laws. In fact, other than the laws teaching us what is right and what is wrong, the laws drive us to an experience of helplessness so that we come to a point of surrender to grace. Since none of us can perfect ourselves in the laws, we can only rely on the grace and mercy of God.
This is the thrust of St Paul’s letter to the Galatians. He wrote, “I am astonished at the promptness with which you have turned away from the one who called you and have decided to follow a different version of the Good News.” Some Jewish Christians came to unsettle the mind of the Gentile Christians, demanding that they submit to the Jewish Laws for salvation. Such a position denies and contradicts that Christ is our Savior and that we are saved by His love and mercy as shown in His passion, death and resurrection. Jesus saved us all without conditions and died for us all. We are saved when we submit in faith to Jesus as our Savior and accept His forgiveness and love.
Unfortunately, we often forget that salvation is purely by faith in Christ Jesus as our Savior. He has paid the price for our sins. Our cooperation is to receive this forgiveness in faith and gratitude. We think we must earn our salvation. Although the Catholic Faith never taught that we are saved by good works alone but by faith in Christ, many Catholics tend to conduct themselves in such a way that they can earn God’s grace through the performance of good works. This, precisely, was what the religious lawyer sought to unsettle our Lord when he asked, “Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The emphasis was on what he must do.
In Luke’s account, Jesus made the lawyer answer the question, “What is written in the Law? What do you read there?” Apparently, the lawyer knew the answer. He could summarize the laws in one sentence, combining both the text from Deut 6:5 and Lev 19:18. He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Indeed, the lawyer did not seem to be far from the kingdom of God because he knew that the answer to eternal life is rooted in the love of God and love of neighbor. As Catholics we also know that this is the answer. Eternal life is ours when we love God with all our heart, soul and neighbor as ourselves. Like the scribe, we too are anxious to justify ourselves. It is one thing to know the answer and another thing to do it. Jesus made it clear to the lawyer, “You have answered right, do this and life is yours.” Being religious is not just about having the right doctrine but also the right practice as well. As St Paul would say, it is faith working through love. (Gal 5:6)
Indeed, we must be careful that we do not fall into the same trap as the religious leaders during the time of Jesus. We can be religious and yet not loving. This seems to be a contradiction. We would think that those who are religious would be loving, caring, humble and reverential to God; and show respect and compassion for their fellowmen. In other words, a religious man or a holy man loves God and his neighbors. However, this is not always the case when we begin to legalize our relationship with God and with our neighbors. In other words, instead of loving God and our neighbors, we are more concerned about whether the laws are observed so that we can justify ourselves before God that we are good enough to receive the rewards of eternal life. We are calculative, just like the scribe who tried to evade love by engaging in an abstract theological discourse on “Who is my neighbor?” Instead of giving an intellectual and abstract answer, Jesus wisely told him a parable instead.
In using the examples of the Levite and the priest in the parable, Jesus demonstrated how one could be religious and yet not loving, and therefore whilst observing the commandments, he did not observe the true spirit of the commandments. We read that “a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. In the same way, a Levite who came to the place saw him, and passed by on the other side.” Both the priest and the Levite were careful to observe the law of purity. More so, if they were going to the Temple to worship, they could not afford to be tainted by touching a corpse. So to avoid helping the wounded man, they “passed by the other side.”
So too for us as well when we seek to separate religious duties from loving God and our neighbors from our heart. We can be attending church services, serving in ministries, singing beautifully in the choir, distributing communion reverently, attending mass regularly, observing all the rules of the Church and even making our fair share of contributions to the Church and to charity, yet not be truly loving. We remember the story of the Widow’s mite when the Lord observed how a poor widow put in two small copper coins and He remarked, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.” (Lk 21:3f) The poor widow gave her whole heart to God. She was not observing some laws.
What is asked of us is that we must love with our hearts. Only a heart that loves is saved. This heart of compassion is shown by the Good Samaritan. The Samaritans were certainly not considered exemplary Jews in the eyes of the Jews. They were a mixed-race because of inter-marriage with other peoples after the Northern Kingdom was conquered by Assyria. Yet, it was this perceived enemy of the Jews, despised by them, who came to the aid of the injured man. “A Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion. He went up and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn, and looked after him.” He went beyond his duty of saving the man by even paying for his expenses and promised the innkeeper to “make good any extra expense” later on his way back. This is the heart of love! Love of our fellowmen, regardless of race, language, religion and social classes.
Love of neighbor is the most concrete way of knowing that we love God. This is the litmus test. St John summed this up saying, “Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.” (1 Jn 4:20f) Of course, this capacity to love in this manner springs from the love of God for us in the first place. Without accepting His unconditional and gracious love, we cannot love in this manner. Hence, the scribe was not even able to say that it was the Samaritan who proved to be the neighbor. He could only say, “the one who took pity on him.”
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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