Reflection:
When we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan, we often focus on its moral: be kind to others. But there’s much more beneath the surface. In Jesus’ day, one always went “up” to Jerusalem, even if the journey took you from north to south to get there. Regardless of elevation change or direction, one always went “up” to Jerusalem. The reason is that Jerusalem was where the temple was, and the temple was where God dwelt with his people. Thus, the man attacked by robbers, as well as the priest and the Levite, were all leaving Jerusalem and going “down” the road to Jericho.When the man was attacked, he was left for dead. According to the Old Testament, contact with the dead made a person ritually unclean. Priests and Levites, whose service centered around the temple, were bound by strict purity laws in order to serve at the temple (see Leviticus 21). Even though the priest and Levite in the story were going away from Jerusalem, probably done with their duties, they still avoided the man, walking on the opposite side of the road to be certain not to touch him. Maybe they feared ritual impurity. Perhaps they were unwilling to take the time for purification if he were dead.
Samaritans were considered to be non-Jews. As a people, they descended from the intermarriage of the Jews in the Northern Kingdom of Israel after the Assyrian Exile (~722BC) and the gentiles (pagans) brought in to populate the Northern Kingdom. Thus, even though they thought of themselves as descents of Abraham, they were considered to be non-Jewish: a mixed race with a mixed religion. They were despised and considered impure; they were not “neighbors.” Yet, it is the Samaritan who stopped to help the robber’s victim. He doesn’t just feel compassion; he acts. He dresses the man’s wounds, pays for his care, and expects nothing in return. This is agape, one of the different Greek words for “love.” It is an action, doing good for the other’s sake, without expecting repayment. We are all wounded: by sin, by life, and by each other. Jesus’ meaning behind the parable of the Good Samaritan is to recognize that everyone, even those different from us, even our enemies, are our neighbors. And we are called to love and serve them, as Christ loves and serves us.
Reflection Questions
- In what ways might I, like the priest or Levite, prioritize my own comfort, schedule, or “purity” over helping someone in need?
- Who are the “Samaritans” in my life (the people I tend to avoid, judge, or consider outside my circle) and how might God be calling me to love them as neighbors?
- How can I live out agape this week? How can I love, not just through feelings of compassion, but through concrete actions that serve others without expecting anything in return?