I EXPECT IF THERE IS ONE STORY in the New Testament that is familiar to most everyone, it is this story from Luke that includes the parable of the Good Samaritan. Children have acted out this story in Bible school or Sunday school. It seems to be universally known.
There are “good Samaritan” laws designed to protect people who stop to help another person in need. There are the “Good Sam” campgrounds — the logo is a smiling guy with a halo. There is Samaritan’s Purse charity.
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THE LAWYER WAS IN THE POSITION of most of us; he could recite what the law said. “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” He decided to take his question one step further — to justify himself. “And who is my neighbor?” You see, if we can restrict the meaning of neighbor then we look better, or think we do, in God’s eyes.
In response, Jesus told him a story. A man was traveling. He got beat up and robbed. Left for dead. A priest and Levite (an assistant to the priest) passed by. Both ignored the man. A Samaritan came by, saw the man, had pity and helped the almost-dead-man.
For the hearers of this parable in Jesus day, no Samaritans were considered to be good. Samaritans were viewed with suspicion as outsiders. Religious folks thought they were dirty. A decent person would not drink at a well they drank from, nor would they eat with Samaritans. In fact, well-respected folks avoided talking with them whenever possible.
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I WELL REMEMBER GROWING UP in the segregated South. Many of you do as well. If you’ve read the book The Help or Hidden Figures or seen the movies, you get an idea. Blacks were outsiders. Not considered fully human. Viewed with suspicion. Lived in separate parts of town. Separate water fountains because decent white Christians wouldn’t drink from the same fountain. (I always wanted to drink from the “colored” fountain because I wanted to see what color the water was.) Separate eating joints. The Dairy Delight in town closed its inside seating rather than open to all people.
For some people in our country, that idea is still alive and thriving. Folks who used to wear masks to hide their faces now protest for white supremacy in the open. Today, in our country, for many people the word Muslim can be substituted for Samaritan. No Muslims are considered to be good Muslims. Muslims are viewed with suspicion as outsiders. There was a woman beaten and left on the roadside. A Christian bypassed her. So did a politician. But a Muslim saw the wounded woman and stopped to help. In fact, he paid for her medical care, room and board.
And what about serving LGBTQ folks? Should I be a neighbor to the two guys who want my business to bake them a wedding cake? “Who is my neighbor?” we ask, wanting to justify ourselves.
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“WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?” is a central question in the church today and one that is even discussed in the life of our nation. It is a question that surrounds talk about immigration laws. It is a question related to how we treat each other, from the corporate executive to the homeless person.
“Who is my neighbor?” raises questions about race and sexual preference.
In our country it seems also to center on party affiliation and how we respond to those who have a differing political opinion. A Democrat fell victim to crime. Should/would a Republican stop to help? Should/would a Democrat stop to help a Republican? A white supremacist is knocked down and injured during a march. Should/would the Antifa member stop to help? No small thing in today’s world.
“Who is my neighbor?” touches every aspect of our lives. Neighborhoods, schools, work, recreation, politics, religion, economics.
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JESUS’ MAIN POINT is that a neighbor is anyone you can help or who can help you. All it takes is deciding to take care of each other.
□ Was the Samaritan good because he actually saw the guy in the ditch?
□ Was the Samaritan good because he had compassion on him? Was the Samaritan good because he went to the beaten man and bandaged his wounds?
□ Was the Samaritan good because he put the ditch-guy on his very own animal?
□ Was the Samaritan good because he brought him to an inn and took care of him?
□ Was the Samaritan good because the next day he took out two denarii, equivalent of two paydays, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him”?
□ Was the Samaritan good because he said, “when I get back I will repay you whatever more you spend.”
□ Was the Samaritan good because he did all of the above?
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WHAT IF THE SAMARITAN WAS GOOD because he simply made the choice to come near the almost-dead guy in the ditch? To decrease the distance between him and the man clearly in need of help?
Jesus asked the lawyer after reciting the parable about the Samaritan, “Which one of these acted like a neighbor?” The lawyer replied, “The one who showed mercy.” Jesus said, “Go and do likewise.”
— Keith Cardwell
