Understanding, love with feeling and action in the old story we know Samaritan
Good Samaritan Luke 10 , a look again at what we need to know and do in our Christian lives
"Contemplation is nothing else than a secret, peaceful, and loving infusion of God, which if admitted, will set the soul on fire with the Spirit of love." - St. John of the Cross
"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? ..."
1. The Samaritan " came where he was as he journeyed , and when he saw him...."
How do we know those to whom we are called? Go to where they are as did the samaritan, " came where he was as he journeyed" and " see, saw him" The word saw means with understanding. It is the same word used when John saw the empty tomb and the grave clothes. " And he stooping down, and looking in , saw the linen clothes lying..." John is talking about seeing with understanding.
The word idon means to perceive or attend to. Nouwen said this about our ignorance of certain people /groups:"
When we are not afraid to confess our own poverty, we will be able to be with other people in theirs. The Christ who lives in our own poverty recognises the Christ who lives in other people's. Just as we are inclined to ignore our own poverty, we are inclined to ignore others'. We prefer not to see people who are destitute, we do not like to look at people who are deformed or disabled, we avoid talking about people's pains and sorrows, we stay away from brokenness, helplessness, and neediness.
By this avoidance we might lose touch with the people through whom God is manifested to us. But when we have discovered God in our own poverty, we will lose our fear of the poor and go to them to meet God."
We all need to see with understanding. How can we do this? I think it stems from another sermon we had the other week about the Publican and the Pharisee. One prayed with himself, and the other prayed to God.
Who are we praying to? Are we humble in our prayers or are we praying with ourselves only? It is easy to fake out even ourselves.
Listen to God first, ourselves, then to others with understanding , empathy, and love.
2. He was moved to compassion for him. " felt compassion" lit. to be moved in the inward parts....
As we said above in the quote, "Contemplation is nothing else than a secret, peaceful, and loving infusion of God, which if admitted, will set the soul on fire with the Spirit of love." - St. John of the Cross
What is contemplation? More of this from him,"
The Dark Night is one who has seriously converted to seeking God,
yet continues to be affected by self-love and imperfections. He also is a unique person, different from others because of his personality and the way in which God guides him. When these individuals of good will seriously dispose themselves for God's communication, He invariably responds by leading them into the dark night of aridities where their imperfections are purged, their sense life is subjected to their spirit, and they begin to love God rather than themselves."
Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina are closely derived from ancient contemplative Christian practices and are attempts to present these practices in updated formats that appeal to the lay community. (from website on contemplative prayer)
Out of prayer comes love/compassion instead of self-centered goals and ideas. This is what the Samaritan showed by his compassion.
3. Lastly act . We all know the end of this story. Jesus said, " Go and do "
"Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. " Jesus asks, and the lawyer responds.
Who was the neighbor? The one who had understanding, feelings , and acted in other words. The act comes from the heart of love and empathy for the other.
Here is a quote from a Scottish Episcopal priest I found this week on his comments on the Holy Communion. He challenges us,"
It is an ultimate moment of mindful insight, ..of awakening, if only we have eyes to see and ears to hear: in this rite we are indeed what we eat. The Divine presence is revealed in bread broken and wine outpoured. Now do we bring OUR presence to the table and recognise the call to allow that life of Christ to be revealed in us?"
And there's the rub. Do we bring understanding to situations and people as we see ? Or do we literally and spiritually and mentally pass by? Do we bring feeling with compassion or do we pass by? It is ok to have feeling. Lastly, do we act after we have understood with sight and had compassion with feeling?
Or do we pass by the moment that God gives us to act ? The moment to act comes only once .
"Contemplation is nothing else than a secret, peaceful, and loving infusion of God, which if admitted, will set the soul on fire with the Spirit of love." - St. John of the Cross
"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? ..."
1. The Samaritan " came where he was as he journeyed , and when he saw him...."
How do we know those to whom we are called? Go to where they are as did the samaritan, " came where he was as he journeyed" and " see, saw him" The word saw means with understanding. It is the same word used when John saw the empty tomb and the grave clothes. " And he stooping down, and looking in , saw the linen clothes lying..." John is talking about seeing with understanding.
The word idon means to perceive or attend to. Nouwen said this about our ignorance of certain people /groups:"
When we are not afraid to confess our own poverty, we will be able to be with other people in theirs. The Christ who lives in our own poverty recognises the Christ who lives in other people's. Just as we are inclined to ignore our own poverty, we are inclined to ignore others'. We prefer not to see people who are destitute, we do not like to look at people who are deformed or disabled, we avoid talking about people's pains and sorrows, we stay away from brokenness, helplessness, and neediness.
By this avoidance we might lose touch with the people through whom God is manifested to us. But when we have discovered God in our own poverty, we will lose our fear of the poor and go to them to meet God."
We all need to see with understanding. How can we do this? I think it stems from another sermon we had the other week about the Publican and the Pharisee. One prayed with himself, and the other prayed to God.
Who are we praying to? Are we humble in our prayers or are we praying with ourselves only? It is easy to fake out even ourselves.
Listen to God first, ourselves, then to others with understanding , empathy, and love.
2. He was moved to compassion for him. " felt compassion" lit. to be moved in the inward parts....
As we said above in the quote, "Contemplation is nothing else than a secret, peaceful, and loving infusion of God, which if admitted, will set the soul on fire with the Spirit of love." - St. John of the Cross
What is contemplation? More of this from him,"
The Dark Night is one who has seriously converted to seeking God,
yet continues to be affected by self-love and imperfections. He also is a unique person, different from others because of his personality and the way in which God guides him. When these individuals of good will seriously dispose themselves for God's communication, He invariably responds by leading them into the dark night of aridities where their imperfections are purged, their sense life is subjected to their spirit, and they begin to love God rather than themselves."
Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina are closely derived from ancient contemplative Christian practices and are attempts to present these practices in updated formats that appeal to the lay community. (from website on contemplative prayer)
Out of prayer comes love/compassion instead of self-centered goals and ideas. This is what the Samaritan showed by his compassion.
3. Lastly act . We all know the end of this story. Jesus said, " Go and do "
"Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. " Jesus asks, and the lawyer responds.
Who was the neighbor? The one who had understanding, feelings , and acted in other words. The act comes from the heart of love and empathy for the other.
Here is a quote from a Scottish Episcopal priest I found this week on his comments on the Holy Communion. He challenges us,"
It is an ultimate moment of mindful insight, ..of awakening, if only we have eyes to see and ears to hear: in this rite we are indeed what we eat. The Divine presence is revealed in bread broken and wine outpoured. Now do we bring OUR presence to the table and recognise the call to allow that life of Christ to be revealed in us?"
And there's the rub. Do we bring understanding to situations and people as we see ? Or do we literally and spiritually and mentally pass by? Do we bring feeling with compassion or do we pass by? It is ok to have feeling. Lastly, do we act after we have understood with sight and had compassion with feeling?
Or do we pass by the moment that God gives us to act ? The moment to act comes only once .
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