Then, to the second man, he said, "Now you may make a wish. What is your wish?" "I wish to besmarter than the smartest man in the world," he replied. Whereupon, to his surprise, the Genie made him into a woman.
"Life is full of surprises," so goes the old cliché. Moreover, the Gospels say it over-and-over again: Jesus' life and teachings are full of surprises. He came to a generation of people who were anticipating a powerful "Military-Hero" Messiah. But soon He told them that the Messiah would be branded a common criminal and suffer torture and execution. What a surprise!
He came to a generation of people steeped in a philosophy of vengeance: an eye-for-an-eye, a tooth-for-a-tooth, a life-for-a-life. And He told them to "turn the other cheek; to go the second mile; to love their enemies -- pray for them, forgive them. What a surprise!
He told them that those people who loved money would have about as much chance of experiencing God's Presence in their lives as a camel has of getting through the eye of a needle. What a surprise!
He told them that those people whose top priority was trying to be Number One would come in last. What a surprise!
Jesus' life and teachings are full of surprises like these, and probably none greater than the one He springs on us in today's Gospel.
An expert in the Religious Law approaches Jesus and asks, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus replies with a question of His own. "What is written in the Law?" He asks. "you shall love God with all your heart and soul and strength and mind ... and your neighbor as yourself," the lawyer replies. "You have answered right; do this and you will live," Jesus answers. (Do this and you will inherit eternal life! Do this and you will experience the real Presence of God in your life!) But the lawyer, seeking to embarrass Jesus, says to Him, "And who is my neighbor?" Whereupon, Jesus gives His answer in the form of the "Parable of the Good Samaritan"...
On the road running from Jericho to Jerusalem, a traveler is mugged by robbers. They beat him, strip him and leave him laying on the road half-dead. A Jewish priest passes by, sees the man in distress, but keeps on going. A Levite (a priest's assistant) passes by, sees the man in distress, but keeps on going. Then a Samaritan comes along. (Samaritans were regarded by the Jews as heretics and semipagans -- outcasts, enemies). The Samaritan has compassion. He gives the man in distress first aid, then takes him to an inn and provides money for his continued care.
After telling this story, Jesus asks the lawyer, "Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among robbers?" (Lk. 10: 3, 6). The lawyer answers, "The one who showed mercy on him," that is to say, "the Samaritan whom we regard as an outcast and our enemy." To which Jesus replies, "go and do likewise" (Lk. 10:37).
In so doing, Jesus demonstrates to His interrogator that the question, "Who is my neighbor?" is the wrong question. The proper question is "To whom must I be a neighbor?" Answer: To the person in need, regardless of class or status or social standing, or race, or religion; to any person in need, even one whom I have categorized as enemy. What a surprise!
Although this one of Jesus' best-known teachings, nevertheless when it confronts us in a real-life situation, it not only takes us by surprise, it shocks us.
Am I really expected to lend a helping hand to that hateful, spiteful, vengeful person who can't get along with anyone? Unbelievable!
Am I really expected to treat all other persons in a way that demonstrates my unshaking belief in the Gospel Truth that God loves each and every one of them as much as He loves me? Unbelievable!
And yet ... and yet ... Jesus is saying to us now, "You'd better believe it if you want to realize your full human potential. You'd better believe it if you want to experience wholeness of life. You'd better believe it if you want peace of mind and heart and soul. You'd better believe it if you want to get the best earthly taste of the promised ultimate joy of eternal life with God."
The former pastor of the Riverside Church in New York City was fond of telling the story of an elderly woman parishioner who had acquired an immense dislike for him. Worse yet, she spent a good deal of her time conveying these intense feelings to others in the parish. The pastor knew this, and he dreaded the day when his parish calls inevitably would lead to her door...
Finally that day came, and he paced back and forth in front of her building, trying to work up the courage to go in. Hoping she would not be home so that he could just leave his card, he climbed the stairs and knocked on her door. No answer. Again he knocked, no answer. He knocked a third time and heard a faint sound inside, but no one came to the door.
Then he knelt down and looked through the keyhole to see if anything was wrong. "Maybe the poor woman has had a seizure of some kind and needs help," he said to himself. But, as he stared through the keyhole, to his surprise he saw an eye staring back. And then he heard the woman say, with a chuckle, "This is the first time we have seen eye-to-eye." "Yes!" he replied, "and we had to get down on our knees to do it."
Two thousand years ago, even among Jesus' close followers, there were those who did not see eye-to-eye with some of His teachings. And to this day there are those of us (Jesus' followers) who still refuse to accept and to obey certain of His teachings. We acknowledge Jesus Christ as Son of God and our Lord and Savior, yet we think we know better. We think we're smarter than Christ. It's the original sin all over again. We think we can outsmart God.
Vengeance should not reside in your heart! Racism should not be an acceptable part of your life. "Too busy to get involved" should not be an acceptable rationale for avoiding your Christian responsibility.
Jesus' definition of neighbor should not be rejected as a vital, guiding principle of your life!
We're talking here about the root causes of much of the alienation, and the anxiety, and the fear, and the violence that are so prevalent, and even out of control, in today's society. And if this still comes as a shock, Jesus is telling us now, loud and clear, "You'd better believe it!"
Reconciliation ... compassion ... caring ... sharing -- these are the ways to a better world, according to Jesus; these are the ways to peace of mind and heart and soul, according to Jesus. And, you'd better see eye-to-eye with Jesus' teaching, you'd better believe it, if you are among those who are genuinely concerned about the kind of world you'll be handing over to your children and your grandchildren.
