Untitled Sermon (15)

Luke 8:43 ESV

And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone.

Luke 2:24 ESV

and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

Luke 4:18 ESV

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

Luke 6:20 ESV

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Luke 21:3–4 ESV

And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

In Pottersville (Rome) was cold and inhospitable to the poor and the sick - the weak.

Rome practiced liberalitas - Help only those who will later help you.

“You do a beggar bad service by giving him food and drink; you lose what you give and prolong his life for more misery.” Plautus

“Manual laborers and other poor individuals had no place of refuge. Men feared death, and took little interest in the sick, but often drove them out of the house, and left them to their fate.”

Jesus of Nazareth was born into a cold and compassion less world.

Matthew 25:31–40 ESV

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Jesus practiced caritas - relieving someone’s distress – physical or economic – without expecting anything in return.

2 Corinthians 8:9 ESV

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

Greater love have no man than this

John 15:13 ESV

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

xenodochias, places for receiving strangers.

Thanks to Jesus and the Church, hospitals were the world’s first voluntary charitable institution and the practice of nursing was born.

Because One’s compassion makes the poor rich and the sick whole.