The Good Samaritan
Luke 10: 25 – 37
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Introduction
Today’s reading is a very
familiar story. It is the story about the good Samaritan. This story surprises
us even today as we see how Jesus points out how love and mercy can be found even
in the least expected places.
The Gospel
The gospel of Luke situates this
story in a somewhat unfriendly environment where a teacher of the law came and
began putting Jesus to the test. Here was an expert on the law trying to see
Jesus’ own knowledge and understanding of the law. And this teacher asked
Jesus: “ Master, what shall I do to receive eternal life?” To this, Jesus
replied: “ What is written in the law? How do you understand it?” The man
answered, “ It is written: You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind. And
you shall love your neighbor as yourself. “ Jesus replied, “ What a good
answer! Do this and you shall live.” The man wanted to justify his question, so
he asked, “ Who is my neighbor?”
Jesus then said, “ There was a
man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell into the hands of
robbers. They stripped him, beat him and went off, leaving him half-dead. It
happened that a priest was going along the road and saw the man, but passed by
on the other side. Likewise, a Levite saw the man, and passed by on the other
side. But a Samaritan also was going that way; and when he came upon the man,
he was moved with compassion. He went over to him, and cleaned his wounds with
oil and wine and wrapped them in bandages. Then he put him on his own mount,
and brought him to an inn where he took care of him. The next day, he had to
set off; but he gave two silver coins to the innkeeper, and aid, “ Take care of
him, and whatever you spend on him, I will repay when I return. “
Jesus then asked, “ Which of
these three, do you think, made himself neighbor to the man who fell into the
hands of robbers?” The teacher of the law answered, “ The one who had mercy on
him.” And Jesus said, “ Then go and do the same. “
Reflection
This beautiful story of the good
Samaritan is a familiar one to most Christians. In fact, the term “good
Samaritan” has become synonymous with anyone who does something good to one’s
neighbor. But not so at the time of Jesus.
At the time of Jesus, Jews could
never imagine Samaritans as being good. Similarly, never could Samaritans imagine
Jews as being good either. This mutual contempt between these two peoples goes
back from the time when the northern tribes of Israel broke off from the southern
tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
This long standing feud
engendered so much prejudice and biases which somehow shaped how Jews and Samaritans
perceived one another. Jews saw Samaritans as impure because they were descendants
of Israelites who intermarried with foreigners. (Foreigners or non Jews were
considered impure.)
Samaritans also had a different version
of the Torah or the Law. Jews claimed that their Torah or Law was given
directly by God through Moses. Because of this difference, Jews never
considered Samaritans as people who observed the Law.
But in today’s gospel, Jesus
turns everything upside down. In his story, he portrayed the priest and the
Levite, people who were supposed to be knowledgeable and observant of the Law,
as those who didn’t stop by to help the poor man who has just been robbed and
left for dead by his assailants. Ironically, it was a Samaritan, one who was
considered as a religious outcast by Jews who had mercy and compassion on the poor
man.
At the end of the story, Jesus
asks the teacher of the Law the question: “ Which of these three, do you think,
made himself neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The
teacher of the Law couldn’t even answer Jesus with the word ‘Samaritan’.
Instead, he says: “ the one who had mercy on him.” This refusal to answer Jesus
with the word ‘Samaritan’ just shows how deep his prejudice was towards them.
In the end, our reading tells us
two things:
First, Jesus validates the Law.
He doesn’t oppose it nor does he contradict what the Law says but instead
elucidates and elaborates its true spirit.
Second, Jesus also points out
that anyone who was considered by others as a religious outcast, could in fact,
observe the law and inherit eternal life. The Samaritan, who was considered as
a religious outcast, was the only one who observed the law by showing mercy and
compassion to his neighbor.
Our human biases and prejudice
can sometimes get in the way we see reality. Our prejudice colors the way we
perceive things and casts unfair judgments and erroneous impressions on people
we may not like. And yet, at times, it is these people, with whom we have so
much prejudice, who eventually end up obeying the Law and observing it.
The parable of the good Samaritan
ultimately tells us that the ultimate goal of the Law is for us to grow in love. By observing God’s laws,
we are meant to grow each day in loving God with our whole heart and loving our
fellowmen in the way we love ourselves.
If in observing the law, we don’t
grow in love but instead develop all sorts of prejudices and biases against our
neighbor, then, we are not really following and observing the law but have used
the law to judge and criticize others.
Prayer
Lord, I have always looked down
on people quite often. I look down on them because of so many reasons; but
primarily because they are not good and are not to my standards. I have already
developed so much prejudice. I have used your commandments as a basis for
judging them.
But today, as you tell me the
story of the good Samaritan, you tell me to do away with my prejudices and
understand that the people I judge can in fact be more loving and caring than I
am. Let me understand that your commands are there for me so I may grow in love
for you and my fellowmen. Amen.
“Be
doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.” – James 1: 22
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