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But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
"And who is my neighbor?"
The natural, unspiritual mind is always looking for the minimum necessary. It is aware of its tendency and desire to pass by those in need on the other side of the street. It does not wish to suffer interruption of its own plans and priorities. Thus it desires an interpretation of rules and laws that allow this. One must love God, obviously. But doesn't this still imply a wide space for personal freedom which is morally indifferent and therefore not directly encumbered by this necessity? No doubt some duty toward one's neighbor is also necessary. Even the ego sometimes realizes how horrific the world would be without love of neighbor. It understands that it may have to give something in order to expect anything in the social order. But the ego is incapable of going beyond such basic contractual obligations.
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot (see Romans 8:7).
The spiritual mind, by contrast, isn't not interested in minimums nor maximums, nor any other calculation. It is instead focused on what needs to be done. Because it is not trapped within the walls of the ego it is able to take in a situation more objectively. It does not see the needs of others as a threat to itself. Because it isn't actively resisting compassion it is open to the experience of profound sympathy. It is capable of true being for others.
Both then and now it was and is easy to identify a long list of reasons why it is unwise to get involved, to focus on all of the liabilities, and lost opportunities entailed in making a decision to help. We may even still manage to think of ourselves as compassionate people in the abstract, even if mercy never or seldom impacts our lives day to day. We quickly make excuses about the intractable nature of suffering in the world. What difference can one intervention make? Isn't the mantra of doing small acts with great love one of mere sentimentality? Yet this desire to only do something if we can do everything, to make an effort if we can achieve a perfect result, is also a symptom of the "stinking thinking" characteristic of the ego and the unregenerate mind. In any event, we know that we will not be judged on the basis of our failure to eliminate poverty in the world. But we will be judged on our willingness to ignore the suffering that is at our doorstep. We won't be judged because we did not do all possible things to end suffering in the world. But we will be judged by those which altered course to ignore when they crossed our path.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (see Romans 12:2).
Renewed minds lead to responses to suffering like that of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritan made anything but a minimal response when he came upon the man who fell victim to robbers. He made what can easily be considered a maximal response. We see this as well in Jesus, the true Good Samaritan. He easily could have stayed home in heaven, enjoying eternal bliss with the Father and the Spirit. But instead he came to earth, treating the wounds of our sinfulness. By carrying his own cross he brought us to the inn of the Church where he himself paid the entire cost (with the two coins of his humanity and divinity). We have now been entrusted to the Church so that we can continue to heal and have our minds renewed. As a start we can learn the correct answer to the question posed by Jesus to the scholar of the law:
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers' victim?"
He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy."
Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
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