Bible
Study: Jonah Chapter 1 to 2 verse 10. And Luke 10, 25
to 37.
Yesterday,
we saw how God himself upon creating us said: “it is not good for the man to be
alone.” Genesis 2, 18. And we also observed that being alone is deeper than
simply being without a physical companion, it is another word for STINGINESS,
SELFISHNESS, SELF-CENTEREDNESS, SELF-INTEREST and so on. To be alone is to be
living in YOUR OWN WORLD, a world that everything centres around you, a world
where the only person you love and can sacrifice for is YOURSELF.
Jonah was
alone. He lived in his own world and cared only about himself. Even though he
was a prophet, he had a problem with making sacrifices for others. So, when God
asked him to go to Nineveh, he tried to escape from God, he didn’t think there
was any need to make sacrifice to save the souls of the Ninevites who were
languishing in sin. But God taught him a lesson.
What happened
to Jonah, how he the ship he was travelling almost drowned, how he had to spend
three days inside the belly of a great fish is a classic example of what we
suffer when we live only for ourselves!
In the Gospel
passage, Jesus teaches us the need to be kind and generous to everyone
regardless of who they are. He offers us a universal definition of neighbourhood;
a neighbourhood that is not restricted by race, colour, religion or physical
borders. And to pass home his point, he gives a parable of a man who was
travelling ‘alone’ along a road path that was usually beset by robbers. They saw
him as easy prey because he was entirely on his own. They not only stole from
him, they stripped him, beat him and left him half dead.
A priest
was passing and saw him but passed by. This priest was alone, he too lived in
his own world like Jonah the prophet. He was more concerned about ritual
purification than reaching out to help. So likewise a Levite. Finally, a
Samaritan who had no business with this man was the one who came to rescue him,
offered to treat him and took him to an inn where he paid the medical bills. This
Samaritan was not alone, he wasn’t living in his own world, he showed care and
concern and he is the hero of the parable.
Jesus says
to us today: GO AND DO LIKEWISE.
Let us
pray:
Lord
Jesus, put in me the love that reaches out to help others even if it means
sacrificing my personal comforts. Show me that it pays more in the long run to
reach out to help people than to care only for myself. Amen.
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy New Week.
Let us remember
to Pray for the Monsignor Joseph Omesa, today marks exactly one month of his
death. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.
Amen.
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