Friday 18 June 2021
- Bible Book:
- Luke
'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.' (v. 27)
Background
This is, arguably, one of the best known of Jesus’ parables even outside church circles and this is a problem. The term ‘Samaritan’ has passed into our language to mean someone who comes to the aid of a person in need. It is even the name of an organisation.
But it is important to understand why this Samaritan is introduced in Jesus’ answer to the lawyer’s question. There was a visceral and long-lasting hatred between Jews and Samaritans. It is still reflected in divisions in present day Israel/Palestine. Both groups claimed to be the rightful inheritors of the legacy of Moses and Abraham and rightful possessors of the land. People would take circuitous routes not to have to travel through the territory of the other.
The desert road from Jericho to Jerusalem was part of that route, but not completely safe as it had lots of twists and turns, places to lie in wait to attack the unwary traveller.
The two religious officials, the priest and the Levite, who saw the attacked person had no way of knowing whether he was alive or dead. For them to touch a dead body would make them ritually impure and unable to officiate in the Temple. So, they decided to preserve their purity rather than respond to the immediate needs of the attacked person.
Interestingly Jesus did not actually answer the lawyer’s question, "Who is my neighbour?" but instead asked who turned out to be the neighbour to the person lying half-dead on the road.
The lawyer, testing Jesus, purported to be concerned with conforming to Jewish laws. Jesus was at pains to show that God’s plans were for the whole world, even those seen as beyond the pale.
To Ponder:
- We no longer have such strict ideas of ritual purity but what justifications may we put forward for not getting involved when we come across someone in need?
- There is much discussion currently about levels of British overseas aid. What limits should there be to our generosity to those in need?
Prayer
All-loving God, inspire us, we pray with such love and care for our fellow human beings that we can never rest while others live in poverty and want. Amen.