Number 204 - April 2001

"Who is my neighbour ?"

Words of Father FINET

We are the trustees of an extraordinary gift: the Light of Christ in our hearts. We must keep in mind that we Christians have a very great responsibility compared with the others: we have to be witnesses by word and deed. The Vatican Council has clearly underlined this to us.

When I give to someone what he has a right to expect from me as a Christian, by doing so I fabricate my neighbour. A Christian must always be fabricating neighbours: bringing close to him, and through him to Christ anyone who approaches him. But when this other person is my enemy? Jesus said to us: "Love your enemies". Oh, how important it is to remember that, on leaving this retreat you are all leaving to fabricate neighbours. What a mystery of Love and what an extraordinary obligation to pour into the hearts of others what we ourselves have received, on order to help them find the Light. We must always fabricate neighbours. That's not always so easy: not to disappoint! For we mustn't miss the meetings of God! God brings this person or that into contact with us; what am I to give him? What can I give him? I must be constantly concerned with the fabrication of my neighbour. If Christians understood that, how many souls would discover Jesus. They never hear of Him because Christians don't make neighbours.

When we recite our: "I confess to God", we say: "I have sinned in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do". How can we sin by failing to do something? What others need from me and which I don't give them. It's for that, that Jesus said a lot about this point, notably in the Gospel of Saint Luke.

The good Samaritan

This question was asked of Jesus: "But who is my neighbour? And you know that at that moment Jesus answered by the parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10, 29-37.

It's extremely important to meditate on the quality of this parable.
"A man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho fell amongst bandits who, after having stripped him and beaten him up, went off, leaving him half dead. By chance a priest went down the same road; he saw him, crossed to the other side of the road and went on his way. In the same way a Levite, happening to come along, saw him, crossed over and went on.

But a Samaritan who was making a journey came upon him, and on seeing him was moved with compassion. He came up to him, bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, and then lifted him onto his own mount, took him to the inn and looked after him. The next day he took out two coins, and gave them to the inn-keeper saying: Take care of him, and if you need to spend any more I'll pay you back on my return. Which of the three, in your opinion, was a neighbour to the main who fell amongst bandits?"

They answered : "The one who had pity on him". And Jesus said : "Go and do likewise".

Understand clearly the sense of this parable. First you must situate clearly the place: this road which goes down from Jerusalem to Jericho, which crosses the famous desert of Juda for 12 kilometres before arriving at Jericho. It's there, in this very deserted place that this parable takes place, and it's there that this man is attacked by bandits. First of all a very Old Testament style priest arrives and doesn't stop. What must he have said to himself? "Oh, if I stop what trouble will be in it for me?" What ought he to have said? "If I don't stop, what trouble he'll have this poor wounded man if I don't help him?" He looked at things from his own point of view, not from the point of view of the wounded man. It's very enlightening: we mustn't look at things from the point of view of ourselves, but from the point of view of others. You can see then their attitude.

On the other hand, immediately afterwards a Levite arrives. That's a very Old Testament style seminarist who also sees him and goes on, saying to himself: "If I stop I'll be late arriving at the seminary", or something like that... and he passes by.

Finally a Samaritan arrives. Note well the situation: The Samaritans are the hereditary enemies of the Jews. Jesus brings face to face two me who, according to their heredity, are enemies. The Samaritan was moved with compassion and stopped.

Jesus answers the question: who is my neighbour?
Let us count up a little on our fingers what he did:
1- He approaches him;
2- He bandages his wounds;
3- He pours on oil and wine;
4- He lifts him onto his own mount;
5- He leads him to an inn;
6- He takes care of him;
7- The next day he takes out two coins and gives them to the inn-keeper;
8- Saying to him: "Look after him,
9- If you need to spend any more I'll pay you back on my return".

He does nine things. Here is Jesus' answer. He goes as far as he can go in charity. It's not always easy. Not only he goes as far as he can go in charity, but he goes over the limits. For what is characteristic in this parable, is that there are no limits: If you need to spend more (I don't give you any limits) I'll pay you back on my return.

Often our charity goes simply as far as 5/9, or even 6/9; but as forgoing as far as 9/9 that's to say totally, it's extremely difficult, extremely demanding. He who gave his Life and his Blood for us can give us this lesson of exigency. It goes as far as Christian charity can go. It's very demanding! And it's easy to teach but not always easy to practice.