The Good Samaritan
Finding Christ in his own parable.
Luke is the only gospel that gives us the parable of the compassionate Samaritan. Being Holy Week, something occurred to me as I read it this time.
Perhaps most often, we relate the Samaritan as the “Christlike-thing-to-do” in the parable. And that’s true. The essential question is about being a neighbor. The legal expert does indeed answer rightly - the one who shows mercy.
But with the passion of Christ before us this week, the person of the man who was beaten resonates with Jesus, too. Stripped and unrighteously beaten, left close to death. The religious leaders want nothing to do with him, believing they were following the Law rightfully. And then the God-character heals him, paying any costs with his own.
Just something to think upon as we approach Thursday and Friday this week.
Luke 10:25-42
A legal expert stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to gain eternal life?”
Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you interpret it?”
He responded, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.”
But the legal expert wanted to prove that he was right, so he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied, “A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He encountered thieves, who stripped him naked, beat him up, and left him near death. Now it just so happened that a priest was also going down the same road. When he saw the injured man, he crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. Likewise, a Levite came by that spot, saw the injured man, and crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. A Samaritan, who was on a journey, came to where the man was. But when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. The Samaritan went to him and bandaged his wounds, tending them with oil and wine. Then he placed the wounded man on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day, he took two full days’ worth of wages and gave them to the innkeeper. He said, ‘Take care of him, and when I return, I will pay you back for any additional costs.’ What do you think? Which one of these three was a neighbor to the man who encountered thieves?”
Then the legal expert said, “The one who demonstrated mercy toward him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
While Jesus and his disciples were traveling, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his message. By contrast, Martha was preoccupied with getting everything ready for their meal. So Martha came to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to prepare the table all by myself? Tell her to help me.”
The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part. It won’t be taken away from her.”
Prayer (from Augustine)
Lord,
You have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.
Teach us to love what you command
and to desire what you promise,
so that among the many changes of this world
our hearts may be fixed where true joy is found.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.