Go the Extra Mile

Vincent Van Gogh's Good Samaritan

The Gospel according to Luke tells the famous story of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritan in those days was persona non grata among the Jews, someone you would never be seen with. That was the shock of this parable. Who’s our neighbor? Jesus says everybody, even this Samaritan. Every man, woman, child, whatever ethnic background, religious tradition, sexual orientation, is our neighbor, so to speak.

I think of that as we saw news this weekend about severe floods in Louisiana and Mississippi, and a blackout in New York.

Jesus says very simply yet very powerfully that we love God to the extent that we love one another. And Jesus challenges us to make acts of kindness part of our daily routine. Matthew 25 says this loudly and clearly: When I was hungry, when I was thirsty, you did something.

We can’t say we love God and yet neglect our fellow beings. Our love for one another doesn’t depend upon what others can do for us. Jesus aided many people who apparently couldn’t do much in return. Although people can surprise us!

Jesus makes some radical demands regarding our relationships. Read carefully Chapter 5 in Matthew. Jesus says: Give to the one who asks of you. Give to everyone? It’s not always possible. But that demand indicates the direction of our lives: to be generous with what we have, with our time, talent and treasure.

Jesus says: To the person who strikes you on one side of the face, offer the other side as well. Sometimes we have to stand up against wrongs. Again, Jesus indicates the thrust or direction of our lives, that is, we should do our best to be peacemakers, healers, bridge builders, reconcilers. We also find his well-known advice to go the extra mile.

Now these radical demands by Jesus of course have to be linked to Jesus’s mission. He proclaims that the kingdom of God is breaking into our midst. Yes, the kingdom is here, but not completely or fully. You and I are living in between the historical coming of Jesus in Bethlehem and the final coming of Jesus in glory at the end time. So we live in that tension between the present and the future.

Often we fall short of the ideals of Jesus, because we have within ourselves a “pull” or tendency to not always choose right over wrong. People sometimes choose evil over good. The Catholic tradition calls this “original sin.” This tradition also proclaims that the power of God within us –as our creator, redeemer and sanctifier--can overcome that tendency, and enables us to have a genuine relationship with God and with one another.

How? By sharing what we have with others. Sharing our time-especially with our families. Sharing our talents-a smile or a skill that will uplift someone else. Sharing our treasure, especially with people in need. All of us have the potential to do great things for God. And it begins with small, ordinary things, each day.

The great eighteenth century preacher, John Wesley, summed up our potential for doing great things for God with the phrase; do all the good we can.  By all the means we can.  In all the ways we can.  In all the places we can. At all the times we can.  To all the people we can. As long a ever we can. Amen.