Editor's note: we live in interesting times, where this media organization has to use languages and methods that have been weaponized against us as a society and nation - this very much includes Christianity.
Luke 10:25-37
25And then a certain lawyer arose to try (test, tempt) Him, saying, Teacher, what am I to do to inherit everlasting life [that is, to partake of eternal salvation in the Messiah's kingdom]? 26Jesus said to him, what is written in the Law? How do you read it?
27And he replied, you must 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 your neighbor as yourself. 28And Jesus said to him, you have answered correctly; do this, and you will live [enjoy active, blessed, endless life in the kingdom of God].
29And he, determined to acquit himself of reproach, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? 30Jesus, taking him up, replied, A certain man was going from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him of his clothes and belongings and beat him and went their way, [unconcernedly] leaving him half dead, as it happened.
31Now by coincidence a certain priest was going down along that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other. 32A Levite likewise came down to the place and saw him, and passed by on the other side [of the road].
33But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled along, came down to where he was; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity and sympathy [for him], 34And went to him and dressed his wounds, pouring on [them] oil and wine. Then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35And the next day he took out two denarii [two day's wages] and gave [them] to the innkeeper, saying, Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I [myself] will repay you when I return.
36Which of these three do you think proved himself a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers? 37He answered the one who showed pity and mercy to him. And Jesus said to him, Go and do likewise (Amplified Version).
Let us understand that we have the parable of the Good Samaritan as the result of a question directed at Christ not for the purpose of enlightenment, but rather to test Him or trip Him up. So much of our human interaction isn’t really about understanding or the desire to grow, but a need to rationalize what we haven’t done in our lives in the face of the conviction of what we should do.
Moreover, when this expert of the law could not entangle Christ in his web; when he himself was convicted by the answer to the very question he asked, he resorted to feeble deflection. The man's response should have been to ask, "How can I do this? I am not able. I need help." Instead, he tried "to justify himself," that is, to defend himself against the implications of Jesus' words. So he attempted to move the focus off himself by asking, “And who is my neighbor?”
There are certain attitudes that have been ingrained in us by birth (sin), personality, familial influence, peer and/or societal influence, that prove to be problematic in our obedience to Christ.
Every one of these “sympathy stoppers,” that will be outlined, is some sort of attempt to justify ourselves in the face of our responsibility to a neighbor’s need. They are nullifications, if you will, to the call for sympathetic and empathetic action.
These attitudes are also, because of how deeply they are entrenched, are frequently our “first responders”, so to speak --- in other words, it is these un-Samaritan-like feelings that usually characterize our initial reaction to those in need. There are three very powerful and repugnant hindrances to the Good Samaritan impulse in our lives.
Minimization: “It’s not that bad.” When we see the bruised and battered “body” of our neighbor on the side of the road, should this be our first response? Why would it be? This usually stems from a reluctance to deal with any information that would implicate responsibility or action. I am then absolved from any great accountability in helping if it’s not that serious. My neighbor’s wounds are not so deep; my neighbor’s bones are not that broken.
Do we hear ourselves talking (in our inner and outer dialogue) like that sometimes? This minimalist response to human suffering is more Pharisaical then Christ-like and it is quite the contrast from Him who said: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world… (John 3:17).”
Blame The Victim: “It must have been something that they did.” Regrettably, there are some when coming upon those who have been overwhelmed and battered by the circumstances of life that will only stop to accuse and criticize. This not only does nothing to alleviate the suffering of our ailing neighbor, it also adds to their weight and burden. Our supposed rugged individualism is proven to be a sham when we look back on the span of our lives and see the many Samaritans that were there for us, without judgment; without condemnation.
This compassion disconnect is akin to the question asked of Christ by his disciples as they passed a blind man (blind from his birth): "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? (John 9: 1-3)"
And we too, seem to have no problem asking the question “who’s to blame,” with great and alarming frequency. Yet we struggle to ask, “What’s my responsibility?” Somehow, we believe that if it’s their fault, it prohibits them from our compassion.
Imagine if God would have thought that about us. Picture your life and its myriad mistakes and sins, seen and unseen, WITHOUT the mercy and forgiveness of God. ALL of us have been at the side of the road for some reason or another and in need of compassion.
Demonizing the Different, While Excusing the Familiar: “If she wasn’t so different this would have never happened.” This probably goes to the very heart of why Christ chose the Samaritan as the protagonist for this parable.
The despised Samaritan, an outcast, was the only one who helped the man. The “pious” priest; the “consecrated” Levite could not be bothered with the pain of his neighbor. There may be some of us who want to check political and religious affiliation before we stop by the side of the road to help our neighbor.
Still, others may want to know country of origin or ethnicity before they deem the wounds of the suffering neighbor worthy of their oil and wine. How many times have we looked for some distinguishing characteristic or dissimilar trait to disqualify a vast array of neighbors from the healing touch of our hand of mercy?
Realize this: Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan is not only an affirmation of what it means to be a good neighbor, but it is also a condemnation of the lack of compassion of the religious; of those who profess to have a relationship with God.
The Samaritan stands out because he had mercy (sympathy) that moved him to act (empathy). He didn’t just see the need, he addressed it --- by dressing the wounds and the application of oil (healing) and wine (life). He then placed the man on his donkey or horse, which means he walked (sacrifice).
They now come to the inn where the Samaritan takes two days' worth of his wages so the bloody and bruised traveler would have a place to convalesce. Was this the end of his concern? No. The Samaritan then informed the innkeeper that whatever further costs would be incurred as a result of the care for the injured man, that HE would pay upon his return.
That example challenges me; it cheers me; and yes, sadly, it even condemns me. How paltry our declarations of charity and generosity look when placed next to the Samaritan’s. How many are we leaving on the side of the road in our lives; in our society; in our country? Where are the “boundaries” of our love for our neighbor?
Our neighbors may have been robbed by poverty; they may have been beaten and left for dead by discrimination, abuse or disease. What will our response be? Does our commitment stop after the dressing of the wounds? Does it end after depositing our responsibility at the inn?
Being a good neighbor flows from who we fundamentally are and cannot be summed up in a single act. The Samaritan has the look of someone that was in the habit of being moved by compassion, it appears the priest and the Levite was not.
As a professor, I have often told my students that we fail to arrive at the right answer because we have failed to ask the right question. Yes, maybe the priest and the Levite surmised that the same fate that befell the unfortunate traveler would happen to them if they stopped to help.
Nevertheless, it was the Samaritan that asked the right question. While the priest and the Levite were asking what will happen to me if I stop and help, the Samaritan was asking: “what will happen to my neighbor if I don’t stop and help?” Priest, Levite, Samaritan; who will you be?
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