The Compassion and Mercy
of the Kingdom of God
Jesus continues
to travel toward Jerusalem to fulfill his mission. Last week, we learned that he sent out his
disciples to proclaim “the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Their message includes the gift of peace.
Today,
Jesus continues the proclamation of the Kingdom of God in calling us to live
with compassion and mercy.
In
between the two passages, Jesus declares that his Gospel is a gift from the
Father, “Lord of heaven and earth,” to “the childlike.” Moreover, it is “hidden from the wise and the
learned” (10:21).
The Jewish
audience of the parable of the Good Samaritan is in for a big surprise. Jesus challenges them, Jewish people, to
imitate a Samaritan. This outsider “was
moved with compassion” for the victim of the robbers. He goes out of his way to care for the
victim. He spends money, the amount equaled
to two days’ worth of labor, and even goes into debt for whatever it might cost
him, to make sure the victim is cared for while he is absent.
The
Samaritan indeed has “treated him with mercy.”
Image source: www.agnusday.org
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