Jesus told a story: a man was going along the road from Jerusalem to Jericho when he
was attacked by thieves and robbers. Perhaps you know the story? It’s the story of the
good Samaritan, and it was told to challenge us to become better neighbours to one
another.
The man is left for dead on the side of the road. A priest walks by. A Levite walks by.
Neither of them stop – they avert their eyes, pretend they haven’t seen, tell themselves
they’re too busy, perhaps assume that someone else will help.
In other words, the very people who should have known better – who should’ve known
that acts of mercy and compassion are required of those who serve God –
these people rushed on. They passed by
on the other side of the road.
Finally, a Samaritan appears. Now
known as the Good Samaritan
in terms in Jesus’ day.
eigners, the apostate,
earth. (Which
Jesus had
an at the well
A Good Samarwell say a good
good benefit
chav or even a
– you choose acyou read. Whoever
type, add ‘good’ to
confusing. That’s the
crossed the road and
on his donkey, and took
let’s be clear, this story is
– but that was a contradiction
The Samaritans were the forthe outsiders, scum of the
makes the conversation
with the Samaritan womeven more remarkable.)
itan? You might as
asylum seeker, a
scrounger, a good
good banker or politician
cording to which newspaper
the hate figure is for you and your
their name. It’s shocking, surprising,
point Jesus was making. The Samaritan
helped the man. He tended his wounds, put him
him to an inn and paid for his care.
The Samaritan thought not about what might happen to him if he lingered on this
dangerous road. He could have been concerned that he too would be mugged. But no.
The Samaritan was more concerned about what would happen to the man if he were
left alone.
This is beginning of mercy and compassion – that we have concern not for what may
happen to ourselves if we act, but rather concern for what may happen to others if we
don’t act.
The Good Samaritan crossed the road. Would you? Will we? Now, if we saw someone
mugged and left for dead in the road today, we’d call an ambulance, we’d call the
police. We’d probably help, but we’d also look to the intervention of the professionals.
But what if the victim of the mugging wasn’t visible? What if we didn’t see them in the
road? What if the victim of the mugging was hidden from view? Behind closed doors?
Suffering in silence? Imagine the parable of the Good Samaritan were being retold for
our time: the mugging on the road is an economic one: the victim is one of the poorest
and most vulnerable in our society; the thieves and robbers are the government:
Osborne, Cameron and tax-evading multinational corporations sucking the monetary
blood out of our nations;