And behold, a certain lawyer arose, and tempted him, and said, Teacher! What must I do to inherit eternal life? And he said to him, What is written in the law? How do you read? And he answered and said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself. Do so, and you will live.

This lawyer was a boastful man, very arrogant, as it turns out from the following, and moreover treacherous. So he approaches the Lord, tempting Him, probably thinking that he would catch the Lord in His answers. But the Lord points him to the very Law with which he was very arrogant. - See with what precision the Law commands us to love the Lord. Man is the most perfect of all creatures. Though it has something in common with all of them, it also has something advantageous. For example, a person has something in common with a stone, because he has hair, nails, which are as insensible as a stone. It has something in common with a plant, because it grows and feeds, and gives birth to something similar to itself, just like a plant. He has something in common with dumb animals, because he has feelings, he is angry and lustful. But what exalts man above all other animals, he also has in common with God, namely, the rational soul. That is why the Law, wishing to show that man must completely surrender himself to God in everything and captivate all the powers of the soul into the love of God, with the words "with all his heart" he pointed to a coarser power peculiar to plants, with the words "with all his soul" - to a power more subtle and befitting creatures endowed with feelings, with the words "with all understanding" he designated the distinguishing power of man - the rational soul. The words "with all the might" we must apply to all this. For we must submit to the love of Christ the vegetative power of the soul. But how? - strongly, not weakly: both sensual and strong; finally, both rational and its "whole strength," so that we must completely surrender ourselves to God and subordinate to God's love our nourishing, feeling, and rational power. - "And thy neighbor as thyself." The law, which because of the infancy of the hearers, was not yet able to teach the most perfect teaching, commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. But Christ taught us to love our neighbor more than ourselves. For He says: "No man can show greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). - So he says to the lawyer, 'You answered rightly.' Inasmuch as you, he says, are still subject to the Law, you answer rightly; for according to the Law you reason rightly.

     But he, wishing to justify himself, said to Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" And Jesus said, "A certain man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho, and was caught by robbers, who stripped him of his clothes, wounded him, and departed, leaving him scarcely alive. By chance, a certain priest was walking along that road, and seeing him, he passed by. And the Levite, being in that place, came and looked, and passed by. And a certain Samaritan, passing by, came upon him, and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion, and came and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine; and having put him on his donkey, he brought him to the inn and took care of him; and the next day, as he was leaving, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, "Take care of him; and if you spend any more, when I return, I will give it to you. Which of these three, do you think, was the neighbor of the robbers who fell into his hands? He said, "He who showed him mercy." Then Jesus said to him, "Go, and you do likewise." 

The lawyer, having received praise from the Savior, showed arrogance. He said, "And who is my neighbor?" He thought that he was righteous and had no one like himself and close in virtue; for he believed that the neighbor of the righteous is only the righteous. And so, wishing to justify himself and exalt himself before all men, he proudly says: "And who is my neighbor? But the Saviour, since He is the Creator and sees one creature in all, defines His neighbor not by deeds, not by virtues, but by nature. Do not think, he says, that because you are righteous, there is no one like you. For all who have one and the same nature are thy neighbors. Therefore, you yourself be their neighbor, not according to their place, but according to your disposition towards them and your care for them. For this reason I give you the example of the Samaritan, in order to show you that although he differed in life, nevertheless he became a neighbor to him who was in need of mercy. In the same way, show yourself to your neighbor through compassion and hasten to help according to your own confession. Thus, in this parable we learn to be ready for mercy and to strive to be neighbors to those who need our help. We also come to know the goodness of God in relation to man. Human nature came from Jerusalem, that is, from a serene and peaceful life, for Jerusalem means "the vision of the world." Where was she going? To Jericho, empty, low, and suffocating from the heat, that is, to a life full of passions. See: He did not say, "He descended," but "went." For human nature has always inclined towards earthly things, not once, but constantly being carried away by a passionate life. "And he fell into the hands of robbers," that is, he fell into the hands of demons. Whoever does not descend from the height of the mind will not fall into the hands of demons. They, having exposed man and stripped him of the garments of virtue, inflicted sinful wounds on him. For they first expose us from every good thought and protection of God, and then they inflict wounds with sins. They left human nature "scarcely alive," either because the soul is immortal and the body is mortal, and thus half of man is subject to death, or because human nature was not entirely rejected, but hoped to receive salvation in Christ, and thus was not completely dead. But just as through the transgression of Adam death entered into the world, so through justification in Christ death was to be abolished (Romans 5:16-17). By priest and Levite, perhaps, you mean the Law and the prophets. For they wanted to justify man, but they could not. "It is impossible," says the Apostle Paul, "that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins" (Heb. 10:4). They took pity on the man and pondered how to heal him, but, overcome by the force of the wounds, they again withdrew back. For this means (to pass by). The law came and stood still over the one who was lying, but then, not having the power to heal, it retreated. This means "passed by". - Look: the word "on occasion" has some meaning. For the Law, indeed, was given not for any special reason, but because of human weakness (Gal. 3:19), which at first could not receive the sacraments of Christ. That is why it is said that the priest, that is, the Law, did not come to heal a person on purpose, but "on occasion," which we usually call chance. But our Lord and God, Who became a curse for us (Gal. 3:13) and was called the Samaritan (John 8:48), came to us, making a journey, that is, setting the same thing as a pretext for the path and as a goal, in order to heal us, and not only by passing, and visited us not by chance (by the way), but lived with us and did not converse with us in a ghostly way. - Immediately he bandaged the wounds, not allowing the disease to worsen, but binding it. - He poured out oil and wine: oil is the word of teaching, which prepares for virtue by the promise of blessings, and wine is the word of teaching, which leads to virtue by fear. Thus, when you hear the word of the Lord: "Come unto me, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28), it is oil, for it shows mercy and comfort. Such are the words: "Come, inherit the kingdom prepared for you" (Matt. 25:34). But when the Lord says: "Go ye into darkness" (Matt. 25:41), this is wine, a strict teaching. You can understand it differently. Oil means life according to humanity, and wine means life according to the Divine. For the Lord did some things as a man, and others as God. For example, to eat, to drink, to lead a life not without pleasures, and not to show severity in everything, as John did, is oil; and the wondrous fasting, walking on the sea, and other manifestations of God's power are wine. Guilt can be likened to the Divinity in the sense that no one could endure the Divinity in Himself (without union) if there were not this oil, that is, life according to humanity. Since the Lord saved us through both, that is, the Divinity and humanity, it is therefore said that He poured out oil and wine. And every day those who are baptized are healed of their spiritual wounds, being anointed with myrrh, immediately communing with the Church and partaking of the Divine Blood. The Lord has planted our wounded nature on His foal, that is, on His Body. For He made us His members and partakers of His Body: He raised us, who are in the valley, to such a dignity that we are one Body with Him! - The hotel is the Church, which receives everyone. The law did not accept everyone. For it is said: "An Ammonite and a Moabite cannot enter into the congregation of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 23:3). But in every nation he who fears Him is acceptable to Him (Acts 10:35), if he wishes to believe and become a member of the Church. For it accepts everyone: both sinners and tax collectors. Notice the exact manner in which it is said that I brought him to the inn and took care of him. Before he brought him to it, he only bandaged the wounds. What does that mean? That when the Church was formed and the inn was opened, that is, when faith grew among almost all nations, then the gifts of the Holy Spirit were revealed, and the grace of God spread. You will learn this from the Acts of the Apostles. The image of the innkeeper is carried by every apostle, teacher, and pastor, to whom the Lord gave two denarii, that is, two Testaments: the Old and the New. For both Testaments, as utterances of one and the same God, bear the image of one King. It was these denarii that the Lord, ascending to heaven, left to the Apostles and to the bishops and teachers of later times. - He said: if you spend anything of your own, I will give it to you. The Apostles, indeed, spent their own, laboring much and scattering the teaching everywhere. And the teachers of later times, in explaining the Old and New Testaments, spent much of their own. For this, they will receive a reward when the Lord returns, that is, at His second coming. Then each of them will say to Him, "Lord! You have given me two denarii, and I have gained the other two. And He will say to such a person: Well done, good servant!

     In the course of their journey, He came to a certain village; here a woman, whose name was Martha, received Him into her house; and she had a sister named Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus and heard his word. Martha was taking care of a large feast and, approaching, said: Lord! or do you not need that my sister left me alone to serve? Tell her to help me. And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha! Martha! you are anxious and fussy about many things, but only one thing is necessary; Mary chose the good part, which would not be taken away from her. 

Great is the benefit of hospitality, as Martha has shown, and should not be neglected; but it is even more good to listen to spiritual conversations. For by this the body is nourished, and by this the soul is enlivened. "We do not exist," he says, "Martha, in order to fill the body with various viands, but in order to do what is useful to the souls. Take note also of the Lord's prudence. He said nothing to Martha before he received cause for reproach from her. When she tried to distract her sister from hearing, then the Lord, taking advantage of the occasion, rebuked her. For hospitality is still praiseworthy, so long as it does not distract and divert us from that which is more necessary; but when it begins to hinder us in the most important things, then it is enough to prefer to it hearing about divine things. Moreover, to be more precise, the Lord forbids not hospitality, but variety and vanity, that is, entertainment and confusion. Why, - says Martha, - do you care and care about many things, that is, you amuse yourself, you worry? We only need something to eat, and not a variety of food. - Other words "only one thing is necessary" meant not about food, but about attention to learning. Thus, with these words the Lord teaches the Apostles that when they enter someone's house, they should not demand anything luxurious, but be content with the simple, caring no more about anything but attention to the teaching. "Perhaps you should understand by Martha active virtue, and by Mary contemplation. Active virtue has amusements and disturbances, and contemplation, having become master of the passions (for Mary means mistress), exercises itself in the mere consideration of divine utterances and destinies. - Pay attention to the words: "She sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to His word." Feet can be understood as an active virtue, for they signify movement and walking. And sitting is a sign of immobility. Therefore, whoever sits at the feet of Jesus, that is, who is established in active virtue and through imitation of the walk and life of Jesus is strengthened in it, he then comes to hear divine utterances or to contemplate. For Mary also sat down first, and then listened to the words. "And so, if thou canst, ascend to the degree of Mary through mastery of the passions and the striving for contemplation. If this is impossible for you, be Martha, be diligent to the active side, and through this receive Christ. - To say this: "Which shall not be taken away from her." He who strives in works has something that is taken away from him, that is, cares and amusements. For, having reached contemplation, he is freed from amusement and vanity, and in this way something is taken away from him. And he who strives in contemplation is never deprived of this good part, that is, contemplation. For in what more will he succeed when he has attained the highest, I mean, contemplation of God, what is equal to deification? For whoever is vouchsafed to behold God becomes a god, since like is embraced by like.

Chapter Eleven

It happened that when He was praying in a certain place, and stopped, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord! teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. He said to them, When you pray, say, Our Father who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us our daily bread every day; and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive every one of our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.