Sunday Sermon – 13 July 2025 -15th Sunday
in Ordinary Time (C)
Mass Readings: Deut
30:10-14 Ps 69 Col 1:15-20 Lk 10:25-37
Key Verse to Meditate: But he,
desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my
neighbour?" (Lk 10:29).
My Dear
Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
The
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time comes to us with a clarion call to look up to
Christ—the visible image of the invisible Father—and the perfect embodiment of
the Good Samaritan.
In
today’s First Reading, Moses addresses the people of Israel with a
prophetic reminder of their past disobedience and an exhortation to obedience
in the future. The commandments of the Lord are not beyond their reach or
comprehension—they are simple, practical, and intended for daily life. They
must be internalized and treasured in the heart. True transformation always
comes from the Lord.
The Second
Reading, taken from the Letter of Paul to the Colossians, offers a
magnificent cosmic hymn that proclaims the supremacy of Christ as Lord of all
creation and redemption. Christ is described as the “image of the invisible
God,” the pre-existent One in whom the fullness of God dwells—His Spirit, Word,
Wisdom, and Glory.
In the Gospel,
we encounter the heart-touching parable of the Good Samaritan. In response to
the lawyer’s question, “Who is my neighbour?”, Jesus tells the story of a man
robbed and left half-dead. A priest and a Levite, despite their religious
status, pass him by. But a Samaritan—despised by the Jews—shows compassion,
tends to his wounds, and ensures his care. Through this parable, Jesus teaches
us that neighbourliness is defined not by race or religion, but by mercy and
action.
The First Reading: “The Word is Very Near You”
The Book
of Deuteronomy extends a heartfelt invitation to obey the Lord’s commandments.
Moses says, “If you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul…” (Deut 30:10). These words echo the Shema of
Deuteronomy 6:5 and highlight the Lord’s initiative in restoring His people,
calling them to a genuine conversion of heart.
Moses
assures the Israelites that the law is not too difficult or mysterious: “It
is not in heaven… neither is it beyond the sea…” (Deut 30:11–13). They do
not need to undertake some impossible quest to know God’s will. The
commandments are designed for practical living and not to be treated as divine
mysteries hidden from understanding. Since the teaching authority was entrusted
to qualified leaders in Israel, the people had every opportunity to learn and
obey.
Most
importantly, Moses declares: “The word is very near to you, in your mouth
and in your heart, that you may observe it” (Deut 30:14). The phrase “in
your mouth and in your heart” expresses the expectation that the law be
memorized, recited, and internalized—a tradition faithfully carried out by
Moses and later by Joshua (cf. Josh 1:8).
True
covenant fidelity is not about mere external observance but about an inner
transformation. In the New Testament, Mary becomes the model for this interior
relationship with God, as she ponders and treasures His Word in her heart (Lk
2:19).
Jeremiah
captures this same spirit when he prophesies: “I will put my law within
them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they
shall be my people” (Jer 31:33). St. Paul, inspired by this passage,
reaffirms in Romans 10:8 that salvation is available to all: “The word is
near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we
are preaching.”
The Second Reading: Christ, the Image of the
Invisible God
In the
cosmic hymn from Colossians, St. Paul proclaims the primacy of Christ from both
a cosmic and salvific perspective. In Genesis, we learn that humanity was
created in God’s image (Gen 1:26–27), and in Isaiah we hear that man was
created for God’s glory (Is 43:7). Paul now makes a bold affirmation: Christ is
the “image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15).
While
Paul acknowledges God’s invisible nature (Rom 1:20), he insists that Christ has
revealed the unseen God fully and definitively. As John declares: “No one
has seen God; the only Son… has made Him known” (Jn 1:18). Paul also echoes
this truth elsewhere: “The glory of God is revealed in the face of Christ”
(2 Cor 4:6; see also Heb 1:3).
Christ is
also proclaimed as the head of the Church—the body of believers. As the
firstborn from the dead, He holds pre-eminence in all things. Through His
resurrection, He has inaugurated a new creation. This hymn reminds us that
through Christ, the broken world has been reconciled. His blood, shed on the
cross, has brought peace to all creation (Col 1:20).
As
Christians, we are destined to be transformed into the image of Christ. Paul
writes, “Just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we
bear the image of the heavenly one” (1 Cor 15:49). This transformation is
ongoing, through the work of the Spirit dwelling within us (2 Cor 3:18; Col
3:10; Eph 4:24). The blood of Christ becomes the powerful means of
reconciliation and peace (Rom 3:25; Col 1:20).
The Gospel Reading: The Lawyer’s Question
Today’s
Gospel presents one of the most beautiful and powerful parables of Jesus—the
Parable of the Good Samaritan. This parable is a profound lesson in compassion,
mercy, and the true meaning of love for God and neighbour.
In
today’s passage, Jesus answers the question of a lawyer—a legal expert who was
also well-versed in the Scriptures. His question echoes that of the rich young
man in Mark 10:17: "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal
life?" (Lk 10:25; cf. Mt 22:34–40; Mk 12:28–34).
Instead
of answering directly, Jesus poses a counter-question: "What is written
in the Law? How do you read it?" (Lk 10:26). The lawyer rightly
responds by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18: "You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with
all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as
yourself."
Let us
take note of the key words: heart, soul, strength, and mind.
To love God with one’s heart means to respond to Him from the deepest
part of our being. With the soul, we offer our very life force. With strength,
we commit our physical and mental energy. With our mind, we engage our
thoughts, decisions, and plans. It is a holistic love that involves every
dimension of our humanity.
This
all-encompassing love is the very call of Moses to the Israelites in today’s First
Reading: “If you obey the voice of the Lord your God… and turn to the
Lord with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deut 30:10).
Love of Neighbour
The
second part of the lawyer’s response comes from Leviticus: “You shall love
your neighbour as yourself” (Lev 19:18). In Luke’s Gospel, the command to
love extends even to one’s enemies (Lk 6:27, 35). For the Jews, a “neighbour”
traditionally referred to fellow Israelites, but Leviticus 19:34 also includes
the resident alien: “You shall love him as yourself; for you were aliens in
the land of Egypt.”
Yet, in
Jesus’ time, religious groups like the Essenes at Qumran limited neighbourly
love to "the sons of light" while excluding "the sons of
darkness." Jesus radically expands this definition, showing that love of
neighbour transcends boundaries of race, religion, and status.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
To
illustrate the true meaning of “neighbour,” Jesus tells the world-famous
parable. A man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho falls victim to robbers and
is left half-dead. A priest and then a Levite, both men
associated with Temple service, pass by without offering help. Perhaps they
feared becoming ritually impure, but even if so, they had no excuse—they were
no longer on active duty and could have easily returned after purification.
They failed to show compassion, and in doing so, failed the very law they were
trained to uphold.
In
contrast, a Samaritan—considered an outsider and enemy by the
Jews—approaches the wounded man. Moved with compassion, he tends to his wounds
with oil and wine, places him on his own animal, takes him to an inn, and pays
for his continued care (cf. 2 Chron 28:15). He doesn’t ask who the man is or
whether he deserves help; he simply sees a fellow human in need.
Jesus
highlights that it is this Samaritan—not the religious elite—who truly fulfills
the commandment to love one's neighbour.
Jesus the Good Samaritan
More than
just a story, this parable is also a reflection of Jesus Himself. Christ
is the true Good Samaritan. He came to heal our wounds—wounds caused by sin. He
poured out His blood and water for us on the Cross, just as the Samaritan
poured wine and oil. He bore our burdens and brought us to the inn of the
Church, where we find healing through the sacraments. As St. Paul says in the Second
Reading: “Through Him, God reconciled all things to Himself, making
peace through the blood of His cross” (Col 1:19–20).
Compassion: The Heart of the Law
One of
the central messages of this parable is compassion—a heartfelt mercy
that moves one to action. The Samaritan didn't just feel sorry for the man; he
acted. Real compassion identifies with the suffering of others and seeks to
alleviate it. Jesus teaches that “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Mt
9:13). Religious rituals and observances are meaningless if they are not rooted
in genuine love and mercy.
True
neighbourliness is shown not in proximity or similarity, but in action. A
neighbour is not simply someone near us, but someone to whom we draw near with
love.
A Challenge to the Lawyer—and to Us
The
lawyer, knowledgeable in the Law, was proud of his understanding. But Jesus
gently exposed his lack of practice. Knowing God’s Law is not enough—it
must be lived. One cannot truly love God without loving the neighbour. Jesus
concludes with a powerful instruction: “Go and do likewise” (Lk 10:37).
This is not a mere suggestion; it is a command.
Points for Personal Reflection
Today’s
liturgy powerfully unites the call to interiorize God's Word, the majesty of
Christ in whom all things hold together, and the Gospel mandate to show mercy
as true neighbourliness.
Like the
priest and the Levite, we too may sometimes let religious duty overshadow human
compassion. We follow rules, attend rituals, but fail to see and serve the
suffering around us.
- Do I love God with all my
heart, soul, strength, and mind?
- Do I recognize the face of
Christ in the wounded, the poor, the broken?
· Do
I see the commandments of God as a burden or as a source of life?
· How
often do I reflect on God’s Word, and is it truly written in my heart?
· Who
are the people I tend to “pass by” in my daily life?
· Am
I being transformed into the image of Christ by my words and deeds?
This Sunday, let us take Jesus’ words to heart: “Go
and do likewise.” Let
us, then, become Good Samaritans in our world—carrying the healing oil of
compassion and the wine of joy to all who are wounded by life. Let our love of God manifest in
love for neighbour. Let our worship rise not only from the altar of the Church
but from the altar of compassion in our everyday lives.
Let us
allow God’s Word to be inscribed in our hearts. Let Christ—who is the image of
the invisible God—become the model after whom we are reshaped. And let us
imitate the Good Samaritan by living out our faith in compassionate and
concrete ways.
May the Lord give us the grace to truly live out
the Gospel, with hearts that see, hands that serve, and lives that witness
the compassion of Christ.
Be the Good Samaritan. Show
mercy.
