Enugu State Government House Chaplain, Rev. Fr. Chinedu Ozoude, has advocated the need for people to practice how to be good neighbours by helping and reaching out to those in pain and need.
Ozoude who made the call in a homily at Enugu Government House Chapel recently, anchored his message on the Gospel of Luke Chapter 10: 25-37.
He narrated the story in the above chapter which talked about a lawyer who asked Jesus what he will do to inherit eternal life adding that Jesus responded to him that he must love God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his strength, with all his mind and his neighbour as written in the book of life.
The Reverend Father explained that the said lawyer who was anxious and in a bid to justify himself further asked Jesus, “who is my neighbour? and Jesus replied the lawyer using the parable of the Good Samaritan; “A man was once on his way down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of brigands; they took all he had, beat him and then made off, leaving him half dead.
Now a priest happened to be travelling down the same road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion when he saw him, He went and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He then lifted him on to his own mount, carried him to the inn and looked after him.
Next day, he took out two denarii and handed them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, and on my way back I will make good any extra expense you have. Which of these three, do you think proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands’ hands? The one who took pity on him,” The lawyer replied. Jesus then said to him, “Go, and do the same yourself.”
The chaplain noted that the said parable have four characters namely the Priest, the Levite, the Sameritan and the wounded man explaining that “the Priest and the Levite were regarded as the men of God but the Samaritan was regarded as an unbeliever, a stranger to God’s kingdom and also an enemy to the Jews.
“The man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho is supposed to be more related to the Priest and the Levite but they abondoned him. Incidentally the help he needed came from a stranger, an unbeliever, an enemy of the Jews, the Samaritan. The expected failed while the unexpected helped.”
He said that the major problem hindering progress in today’s society was lack of people being good neighbours to each other adding “People only relate with you when things are going well with you, but when problem comes, they will disappear.”
The chaplain said that often times people received help and love from strangers and not from their friends or so called relatives noting “Our society today is still full of many of such priests and Levites or men of God but very few good Samaritans. Humanity today needs more of Good Samaritans for our society to be better.
“Jesus today is calling on each and every one of us to be Good Samaritans to those in difficulties, those in pain, and those in need. The Grace of God is available for you and me, let us connect to this grace.” Ozoude said.
FirstNews reports that present in the mass were the Governor of Enugu state, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the state chairman of PDP, Hon Augustine Nnamani and other top government functionaries.
