Kingdom Come Week Three; The Good Samaritan
Luke 10:25-37
The Good Samaritan. It’s a cliché. To Jesus’ fellow Jews, “Good Samaritan” is an oxymoron like jumbo shrimp, walking dead or Facebook privacy. They would likely say, “That no good Samaritan.” Who were the Samaritans? According to the Jews they are half-breeds – half Israelite and half something else. The lands of Judea and Samaria were side by side and worlds apart. They both claimed to worship the God of Israel, both followed the Law of Moses, both had a temple. Yet they hated each other. The Jews burned down the Samaritan Temple. The Samaritans defiled the Jerusalem Temple. That’s some deep hatred. It’s similar to the troubles they had in Northern Ireland between Protestants and Catholics – same God, bitter hatrid. And yet Jesus, a Jewish rabbi, selects a hated Samaritan as the hero of His story. Why?
Jesus tells this parable in answer to a simple question: “Who is my neighbor?” A legal expert wants to know where to draw the line. Who is my neighbor and who is not. Who must I help and who can I avoid. What is required for citizens of God’s Kingdom?
Instead of drawing a boundary between the in crowd and the outcasts, Jesus tells the story of a man who is robbed, beaten, stripped and left half-dead on the desert road which descends from the mountain of Jerusalem to the deep valley of Jericho. Three travelers happen upon this hapless victim. The first two are a priest and a Levite. Both see the man but instead of going toward him they move to the opposite side of the road and “pass by on the other side.” Now before we judge these two too harshly, remember the priests and Levites who work in the Temple are expected to stay pure. Getting near a dead body will infect them with a spiritual illness which requires a return to Jerusalem for spiritual purification. These expensive, time consuming rituals will prevent them from returning home to care for their families. Moreover, since the man is stripped and unconscious they have no clues – such as clothing and speech – to tell if he is Jewish. Plus, the robbers may still lurk nearby. They have good reasons – spiritual, financial, emotional rules – for keeping a safe distance and passing by on the other side.
At this point, Jesus’ audience probably expects the third traveler – the hero of the story – to be a Jewish layperson who proves he is more righteous than the religious leaders. When Jesus says a Samaritan came by the victim the audience probably gasps and expects him to finish the man off. Imagine their shock when the Samaritan becomes his savior. With deep compassion he goes to the man, binds up his wounds, places him on his donkey and puts him up at an inn where he pays the hotel manager to care for him and even offers to pick up the tab for any additional expense. Consider all the risks he is running. He is a Samaritan deep in Jewish territory. He sacrifices his time and money for a complete stranger. The bandits can pounce on him. The innkeeper and villagers will accuse him of hurting the man. He has even more reasons than the priest and Levite to merge into the opposite lane and pass by on the other side.
At the conclusion of his story, Jesus returns to the original question with a twist. The legal expert asks, “Who is my neighbor?” Draw the line. Who is in or out? Jesus asks a different question: “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man…?” When it comes to loving your neighbor there is no line or limit. Be a neighbor to anyone in need.
This is not an easy lesson to live. Consider all the barriers and boundaries which might keep you on the other side of the road – some you admit and others you keep inside. I’m too busy. I don’t want to get involved. I don’t know who this is. I don’t have any money to give. They could be scamming me. I don’t want to manipulated or become co-dependent. I’ve been burned before. They’re from a different race, religion, lifestyle than me. I need to keep socially distanced six-feet. They span the spectrum from understandable to unacceptable. These are the boundaries which get in the way of stopping and helping. In your discussion, picture yourself on the road of life near someone in need. What prevents you from helping and why? What limits are you willing to lay aside? What limits do you need to keep in place?