The Good Samaritan
The Good Samaritan
July 10, 2022
Luke 10: 25 - 37
When I was asked to give this morning’s sermon, I was thrilled. The subject was familiar and I was sure the Lord had made some preliminary suggestions of what to share: [such as:]
· I could discuss why it was accepted then and now that the Jews and Samaritans hate one another. What was the background?
· Was the injured man foolish to have traveled that dangerous 17-mile stretch of road alone? Present day thinking says he should have known better.
· Should we make analogies from this parable to present day perils and petition for additional protective services in our neighborhoods?
[This is what I’ve got:]
The Parable of the Good Samaritan that Jesus beautifully crafted for his audience way back then continues to challenge us today. The story encourages the hearer to consider more than bad deeds and compassion or road hazards and aide stations. The characters and their actions compel us to ask ourselves what we would have done or not done in the same or similar situation. The theme illustrates premeditation and prejudice. Prejudice: that inexplicable motive where one silently and callously decides what to approve or condone without considering God’s expectations.
Many internalize this parable as if it were a true story - an account of events that really happened. But it didn’t! It is simply an often-repeated story. A powerful story.
I looked it up! A parable is a brief, fictional narrative designed to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. Fortunately, our immediate judgments are not a test for qualification into God’s Kingdom.
So, who are these men that Jesus characterized for us?
The Samaritan. We are told he was a merchant, but not on his way home to his family. He may have been a frequent traveler because he had emergency supplies with him - bandages, oil and wine. He had money enough to own a beast of burden, spend the night at an Inn, care for the stranger and pay the innkeeper for unknown future costs. The narrative suggests he needed to continue his travels, but he promised to return. The Innkeeper did not object to the scheme of proposed reimbursement, so the Samaritan may have been a frequent patron of the Inn and known to be fiscally responsible.
The Thieves. We are told that there was more than one conspirator and that their crime was violent and premeditated. We can picture the collusion and their callous disregard for their victim. We are not told why they needed money - only that they beat a man senseless, stole his money and belongings, stripped him naked, and went off leaving him half dead.
The Priest and the Levite did not seem to be traveling together, but each avoided the injured man and crossed to the other side of the road.
These fictitious characters seem a little larger than life, but the [Sky quotes] “larger than” parts are part of the story.
· The Priest and the Levite seem exceedingly wicked because it was their calling to care. Perhaps they thought the injured man may have been a Samaritan and not an Israelite, so both chose strict adherence to the law rather than compassion. They crossed the road so as not to be involved or even witness the hardship. We can assume they said no prayer for the victim, nor did either arrange for anyone else to see to the man. God’s justice should have been the driving factor of Hebrew behavior. Yet they seemed to concentrate on never-ending lists of rules, with exclusions and directions on how to clear their consciences.
· The thieves in this story seem callous and vicious. Between collusion, premeditation, and violence, they managed to leave no shred of identity or comfort for their victim. I feel I can hear them laugh and elbow each other in congratulation of their cleverness.
· The Samaritan did not seem to be a perpetual do-gooder. He was simply confronted by a situation he had not anticipated. Probably the bandages, oil and wine he carried were for his own use in case he suffered an emergency.
I said earlier that the parable of the Good Samaritan illustrates prejudice. We probably identify with the Samaritan, but it may be we behave more like the Priest or Levite. Hopefully, we just empathize with the victim. However, If you should happen to be overly sympathetic and familiar with the thieves, I think you should turn yourself into the authorities.
When we shut our eyes to the tragedies and victims around us, do we justify to ourselves and explain to others when we get home: “What could I have done? Suppose the naked guy was drunk or crazy? And you know the Covid epidemic is not completely over.”?
In our hearts we should ask ourselves what are our prejudices and how strong are they. Are they so blinding that I cross the road and feign indifference? Do I look around and avert my eyes with just a little bit of avoidance and a slight scowl? Do we assume government agencies or soup kitchens will absolve us of the command to do onto others? I don’t think so, but I need to pray that my eyes are truly open.
Ms. Cathie Duffy