“If anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you have received, let that one be accursed.”
These words of Saint Paul are still relevant today as they were when they were first proclaimed to the Galatian faithful.
Saint Paul warns against fake gospels and fake preachers, which have no room in Christianity. The work of the Church is to make Christ known to the world. That is, to lead people, you and I, to heaven. Anything contrary to this mission is from the evil one. You may have heard that the church says her supreme law is the salvation of souls. Yes, the salvation of souls. Nothing more, nothing less.
Just like the people of Galatian, we are warned and called to be mindful of fake gospels, fake preachers, pastors, priests, and leaders, both civil or religious.
No one should pervert the Gospel of Christ.
The supreme law of the Church is the salvation of souls. Hence, ALL SOULS: You and I and our neighbor. Who is my neighbor?
In the gospel parable, Jesus tells us that our neighbor is not limited to our close blood relatives, friends, co-workers, or people that look like us. The word neighbor includes anyone we encounter or meet, created in the image and likeness of God, hence, any human being.
Jesus, at the end of his encounter with the scholar of law, as we read in today’s gospel (Luke 10: 25-37), said, “Go and do likewise.”
By this statement, “go and do likewise,” Jesus is reminding us that the psychological barriers that we have put in our heads and hearts, like creed, locality, tribe, race, religion, etc., are not important. They always drive us away from embracing God’s Love, from seeing things with the eyes of God.
I don’t know about you. There are things that I have observed in the story of the Good Samaritan as I heard or read this parable over and over for many years. In this parable: I see simple love, honest love, true love, and unconditional love. Love of the other for the other’s sake, not yours. The wisdom of this parable contains not in knowing it but in doing it, “Go and Do Likewise,” Jesus said. We are called to give ourselves to others. The more we do that, the more real we become.
The Samaritan, we refer to as the Good Samaritan, in the story of Jesus, shows us what the Christian spirit and life are all about. He stepped above the board, outside the box, to help a complete stranger. When we don’t forgive others, we make them our masters. When we chew on others’ faults, we make them the masters of our misery.
What moved the Good Samaritan to show such an act of mercy and kindness to a stranger? Is it the fear of the Lord? What is the beginning of wisdom? “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, says the holy book, but not according to most of ours. Fear (awe) is the beginning of wisdom, not the end. Love is the end. God’s love. Our love is far weak to be the end of wisdom. That is the reason we have hope: His love, not ours. God’s grace, not our works. Mercy, not justice. Only fools hope for justice when they die.
Have a wonderful week
