15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Today, in the gospel reading, a lawyer asks: "... what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Lk 10: 25) I find the word "inherit" to be a strange one. To me it speaks of a passive attitude as I wait, as the prodigal son does when he says: "Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me." (Lk 15: 12) Even worse, the term may suggest entitlement. The lawyer possibly has a magical mentality where all he has to do is keep the Torah and he will "qualify" for eternal life in the sense of ticking the boxes of a questionnaire. Jesus does not deny the purpose of the Law since, in answer to the lawyer's summary of it, he answers: "... do this, and you will live." (Lk 10: 28) It is interesting that Jesus responds by using the words that the lawyer uses and thereby draws out the hidden agenda behind the question. The sting in the tail, using the lawyer's summary, is: "And who is my neighbour?" (Lk 10: 29) Then follows the classic parable of the Good Samaritan. The lawyer is obliged to acknowledge that the one who fulfilled the Law was in fact someone who was outside the Law. All the lawyer can say is "The one who showed him mercy." (Lk 10: 26) The Lord's response to this: "Go and do likewise" (Lk 10: 27) reveals to us that the key to eternal life lies not in fulfilling prescripts of the Law but in showing mercy to others. It can be added that in order to show mercy I must have an awareness of the law otherwise how can I know when and to whom I am to show mercy? St Paul tells us: "... but sin is not reckoned when there is no law." (Rm 5: 13) Thus, eternal life is arrived at not just in knowing the law but having received it, to live it out in mercy towards my neighbour so that the intention of the divine will is fulfilled. In doing so I will become aware of my own need of mercy or of the mercy that I have received from God. I am brought to act towards others out of gratitude and joy since I am no longer slave to my own inability to keep God's law perfectly: "But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. the end is eternal life. For the wage of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rm 6: 22-23)