Lk. 10,25-37: Homily of Saint Augustine (Commentary on the Psalm 125,15)
“Commenting on this Psalm, I have strongly urged you to the exercise of mercy, because the ascent starts from it, and, as you well know, only he who ascends sings the canticle of the steps. Remember, do not desire to go down, by forgetting to go up; rather, think always of going up, since he who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho fell into the hands of the thieves. If he had not gone down, he would not have stopped in them. Adam went down and fell into their hands. All of us are Adam. But the priest passed and was not preoccupied of him, as the Levite, since the law could not heal. A certain Samaritan passed as well, that is, Jesus Christ our Lord. To him was said: Do we not say truly that you are a Samaritan and you have a demon? (Jn. 8: 48) He did not reply: «I am not a Samaritan,» but: I do not have a demon. Hence, the Samaritan means a guardian. If he had said that he was not a Samaritan, he would have denied being a guardian. And was there any other who would take care of us?
Then, he presented a parable, as you know: A Samaritan passed and extended him mercy. (Lk. 10: 33) He was lying down wounded because he went down. While passing, the Samaritan did not abandon us; he healed us, he went up the donkey, that is to say, to his flesh; he took us to the inn, that is, to the Church, and he entrusted us to the innkeeper, who is the Apostle, and gave him two pence for our healing, that is, love for God and neighbor, since the whole law and the prophets are encapsulated in these two commandments And he said to the innkeeper: If you spend more, when I return, I will pay you back. (Lk. 10: 35) Indeed, the Apostle spent more, as much as the apostles are able, as soldiers of Christ, being nourished by the followers of Christ. Nevertheless, he worked with his hands and has waived his provisions in favor of the followers.
Trans. by Fr. Romeo Potencio