DT 26:16-19
In today’s gospel, God gives us two simple commands. The first is easy. We should love our neighbors. When Jesus is asked who our neighbors are, he tells the parable of the Good Samaritan. In this brief lesson, we are taught that the Samaritan, who was looked down upon in Jesus’ time, found favor with God by having mercy on his fellow neighbor. We can do the same in our lives by reaching out to those in need.
In the second part of God’s message today, we are challenged to love not only our neighbors but also our enemies. As a double challenge, Jesus tells us to pray for those who persecute us. For Jesus explains that in order to be perfect like God we must love everyone. Jesus is the perfect example for when he was dying on the cross he prayed to His father to have mercy on those who were persecuting Him for they did not know what they were doing. For Lent, I challenge you to increase your prayer life, growing closer to God, and to forgive those who trespass against you. It would be a great way to prepare ourselves to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord.