Posted by The WORD in other words (2018) by Fr Aris Martin SVD – USA
Monday 27th Week in Ordinary Time
I love teaching. I love it the most next to my priesthood. Now I understand why a lot of people, who have fallen in love with teaching, once they are hooked on it, are willing to sacrifice a lot even marriage, family life or meager salary just to devote their whole life to teaching.
Teaching is about bringing life to the Word of God today. In the first reading, St. Paul, a good teacher of the Galatians, is very convinced that the Gospel he is teaching is not from him but from Jesus Christ. For this reason, he reminds the Galatians who are vulnerable to false teachers (those seeking to please people) not to be disturbed and to hold on to the true teacher, Jesus Christ.
In the Gospel an expert of the law recognized Jesus as the “Teacher” and asked him what to do to inherit eternal life. What a good start to learning, recognizing the Teacher. Like any good teacher, Jesus drew out the lesson from the learner himself. “To love God and to love neighbor,” answered the scholar. Then there’s the beautiful story of the Good Samaritan.
Is the parable of the Good Samaritan the end of the Gospel? No. Parables are empty if they do not end in personal transformation. Jesus’ command to his disciples (students) to “go and do likewise” is geared to a change of heart. It is not enough that we recognize Jesus as a teacher or we do not listen to false teachers.
Jesus’ words must change our hearts and move our hands to reach out to our neighbors, who are just beside us not far from us, in need of our encouraging presence. If we learn to share our presence and presents (gifts) to our neighbors, then eternal life starts on earth. The sacrifices of the Teacher produce the sweetest fruit of making earth an extension of heaven.
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