Good Samaritan

Luke 10 : 25 - 37

The one who showed mercy on him

A familiar parable. In fact all too familiar that we believe we have grasped it easily. It is amazing but Jesus' parables are so full of irony that we might have to hear them time and again, as we begin to see that we may in fact not be the 'hero' in the story. After all, the hero in this story was an outsider, despised and avoided by the Jews. That makes it all the more amazing - that real neighbour was in fact not considered a worthy neighbour.

Might this speak to the racial polarizations we meet today? Might we feel very challenged when we consider whether we would go out of our way to help a person from another racial, religious and cultural background?

As it was for the priest and levite, it might be for us too. There are always (good) reasons for not getting involved. There are always excuses for looking the other way, and hoping someone else will come along to help. Only God would know the real motivations behind our reluctance to go out of our way to help someone in need. There is no need to judge anyone else, but seek the Lord's grace and courage in every situation.

The Samaritan, from a different culture and religion, had somehow caught on to the unconditional love of God. This love looks beyond the externals to the value and dignity of every person. People are more important than religious piety (the priest and levite seemed more concerned with this). People in need are more important than programs we want to run, looking for certain goals. The Samaritan had no religious agenda. He merely wanted to help a fellow human being, and in fact went out of his way for a person from another 'camp'. He puts me to shame for the many times I have kept my distance from those who are different from me.