Sergott’s Sidelines 7/10/22

It seems that people ask Jesus questions that they already know the answer and/or think they know the answer. Our Lord does not really answer their question but them a parable and ask them a question instead. In this way, Jesus challenges their narrowmindedness. Christ refuses to answer the question, “ And who is my neighbor: in terms of identifying boundaries which separate neighbors from non-neighbors, either by religion, nationality, race or status. Instead, the parable of the Good Samaritan is a concrete illustration of the universal dimension of God’s plan of salvation for the whole world.

We need to act like Jesus, identifying the needs of others and the question is not only the person who lives nearby. So, loving God and neighbor is a two-fold command without boundaries. We live in a secular world that teaches to associate with our friends, family, and ourselves and ignore everyone else. That self-centeredness, pride and indifference need to be removed from our lives. We are called to love our neighbor which is everyone who comes into our lives in any way.

We live in a society where we are encouraged to identify ourselves by the groups or organizations we belong to. In itself, that is nothing wrong with that. However, as God’s faithful children, our words and actions need to be connected together. We cannot be “Christian” by name only. The life we live is the only indication to truly show whether we are Christian or not. Perhaps some people enjoy being a “pillar” of the parish; not because they love God or neighbors but simply because they enjoy being a pillar. We are invited to walk in the ways of the teacher, Jesus Christ, to serve all others through service and love. Until next time, see you in church! Fr. Larry :)