Pope: Look at people from on high only when you are helping them to their feet
"It’s a very common attitude: To just look at misfortune, look at a bad thing, and move on. And then read about it in newspapers, a bit of scandal or sensationalism. " In the Good Samaritan there is "the mystery of Christ" who "he became servant, bent low, abnegated himself, and died for us."
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Look at people from on high only when you are helping them to their feet, like the good Samaritan of today's Gospel, to be on the right track, said Pope Francis at Mass at Casa Santa Marta this morning.
He said the parable of the Good Samaritan is Jesus’ response to the Doctors of the Law, who want to test him wondering what they must do to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells them of the commandment of the love of God and neighbor, but one Doctor of the Law, who did not know how to get out of the "little trap Jesus had set for him", asks him who is his neighbor. And then Jesus replies with this story.
In the parable there are six "actors": the brigands, the man beaten to death, the priest, the Levite, the innkeeper and the Samaritan, a pagan who was not of the Jewish people. Christ always responds in a "higher" way, emphasized Francis. In this case with a story that explains his own mystery, "the mystery of Jesus".
Pope Francis went on to describe a frequent attitude among people today. The brigands left content because they had robbed the man of "so many good things" and did not care about his life. The priest, "who ought to be a man of God," and the Levite, who was close to the Law, passed by the wounded man, who was almost at the end of his life. " It’s a very common attitude: To just look at misfortune, look at a bad thing, and move on. And then read about it in newspapers, a bit of scandal or sensationalism. Instead, this pagan, sinner, who was traveling, "saw and did not go any further: he was compassionate". And Luke describes this well: 'He saw, he was compassionate, he came to him, and did not move on: he came near. He tended his wounds – he did! Pouring oil and wine. ' But he did not leave him there: I’ve done all I can and then I leave; No".
Then he loaded him on his horse, took him to the hotel and took care of him but the next day, having to go away on business, he paid the innkeeper to take care of him and tell him that more "than these two denars ", would be forthcoming on his return. This is "the mystery of Christ" who " he became servant, bent low, abnegated himself, and died for us." With this mystery Jesus responds to the Doctor of the Law, who wanted to test him. Jesus is the Good Samaritan and invites man to do the same. "It's not a story about children," but "the mystery of Jesus Christ":
"And by looking at this parable, he we will understand the depth, the breadth of the mystery of Jesus Christ. The Doctor of the Law went silent, full of shame, he did not understand. He did not understand the mystery of Christ. Perhaps he will understand the human principle that approaches us to understand the mystery of Christ: that every man should look at another from on high only when he is helping him to his feet. And those who do this are in good shape, they are on the right path to Jesus. "
The Pope also highlighted the "amazement" of the innkeeper who "did not understand anything" but felt "the amazement of a meeting someone who did things" that he had never felt that he could do "that is, the amazement of the innkeeper" it is his encounter with Jesus. "So Francis urged the re-reading the passage of Luke's Gospel and ask a few questions." What am I doing? Am I a brigand, cheating, corrupt, am I a brigand or a priest who looks on and then passes by? Or a Catholic leader who does the same? Or am I a sinner? One who has to be condemned for their sins? Or do I draw close to those who need help? How do I behave, in front of so many injuries, to so many wounded people with whom I meet every day? Do I do as Jesus? Do I take the form of a servant? It would do us well to reflect on this, reading and re-reading this step. It manifests the mystery of Jesus Christ, who came for us to heal us and give us life. "
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