A Fresh Look at the Good Samaritan

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This Sunday's Gospel is the story of the good Samaritan. (Luke 10: 25-37) Tonight is Bible Sharing, so I was reviewing our topic.  What I find as an invaluable tool in understanding scripture is Dr. John J. Pilch.  He is a biblical scholar concentrating on cultural-historical background.  Regarding the good Samaritan, everyone learns the lesson to help your neighbor. However, Dr. Pilch took me even deeper; I now have an ever greater admiration for this good Samaritan. Did you notice that the wounded man was naked?  That means that you couldn't tell whether he was a Jew or a Samaritan.  So the Samaritan had compassion on the man, not knowing whether the wounded man was friend or foe. ( It gets even better!)  After ministering to the wounded man, and after taking care of his needs and future needs, this Samaritan (I emphasize: this GOOD Samaritan.) was taking a considerable (and possibly foolhardy) chance.  Think about it.  Think Levitican Law. "An eye for an eye..."

If this wounded man was Jewish, and he died under the care of this Samaritan, this very Good Samaritan would have been killed by the deceased relatives.  It was the law.  They would have been obligated to kill him, regarding whatever good intentions a passerby may have had.  (This happens today. Bystanders hesitate to help for fear of being sued--and they sometimes are, regardless of Good Samaritan Laws.)  And I think due to the political climate in Jesus' times, the Jews would readily have killed the Samaritan.

Knowing this, would you have helped this wounded man in the ditch?  Also, do you have more empathy for the priest and Levite who passed him by?

A Suspicious Samaritan

My "cloistered brothers" and I were doing group Lectio Divina.  We were reading Luke 10: 25-37.  This is the parable of the Good Samaritan.  We shared our thoughts.

Most of the "cloistered brothers" identified with the robbers--at least for a part of their lives.  Some identified with the innkeeper, who probably wrestled with his conscience, regarding whether or not he could take advantage of the Samaritan.

Personally?  No matter how many times I read the story, I always identified with the Samaritan.  I could see myself coming across someone who needed help.  Upon my first reading, my thoughts were confused and rushed:

How can I help?
He's a Jew.
He may be repulsed by my being a Samaritan.
I can't take him home.
I can't take him to an inn, I have no money.
Who knows how much this will cost?
I have no other means to help him.

Then I listened to my "cloistered brothers" share their thoughts. This time, some said they were the priests; they never would have noticed the man in the ditch.  Custody of the eyes, you know.

I read it again.  This time I identified what my problem was.  Again, I was the Samaritan.  Again, I thought of excuses why I couldn't help the man.  I concluded that I couldn't take a chance that this entire scene wasn't a "set up."  If I went to help him, I would immediately be set upon by the robbers.  The wounded man was a trap.  And even if it wasn't, the wounded man might sue me for causing more damage to him than the original violence.

See, I was AFRAID to get involved.

And I justified my passing by the wounded man, by saying that I'd go for help.  I'd look for some Jewish people who could help a fellow Jew.  This is what I determined the intelligent answer.

Although my cloistered brothers and I, shared our thoughts, regarding the different roles we were playing, I don't think anyone identified with the wounded man, who needed help.

Isn't that odd?  We are all wounded.  We all have needed help, at one time, or another.