It started as a theological question.
It ended as a cinematic experience for all believers to come and then some.
Matthew and Mark tell part of the story1,2. Luke gives the juicy details3
After listening to Jesus school the Sadducees on the harsh realities of marriage, an impressed teacher asks a question of the Teacher. To listen to Mark tell the story, this man was eager to get validation of his beliefs when it came to the most important commandment in scripture.4
Not only did our nameless teacher get that validation, generations after him got to understand what Jesus considers to be the most important commandments; after all – when push comes to shove – His is the opinion that matters.
Loving God and loving our neighbours is what we are to focus on. While that is no easy feat, it does allow us to cut through the million regulations put up by religious institutions.
Luke, unlike his contemporaries, gives us the detailed conversation between our teacher and the teacher of teachers; including the part where our resident good Pharisee asks the definition of a neighbor.
Webster has its definition. One who lives near another.
God doesn’t go by Webster (thank God!).
Lots of people live close to each other who barely have a relationship. It’s that way now. It was that way then, so God steps up and peels back the layers on a story to show us who our neighbours are.
He was a regular guy. You wouldn’t find him in the pulpit or even on the stage. He didn’t lead worship and probably if you asked, the pastor didn’t even know his name; but you better believe God knew him as one who had an extraordinary heart beating under an ordinary Samaritan chest.
He wasn’t the first to stumble on someone else’s tragedy.
In fact, he was the third in line on that particular day, and as per his spiritual pedigree, he should have turned away the quickest and the fastest.
As humans, we may feel something when someone we know is hurt. We may feel less when it is a stranger, but when an enemy is hurt? Well, the normal human reaction would be to turn away – that is, if we don’t decide to add insult to injury.
On this day, the one who had the tragedy was a beaten-up Jew lying on the road.
Let’s hit pause right there.
It isn’t that Jews and Samaritans didn’t like each other. Jews and Samaritans hated each other, and even in good times, they were as likely to speak to each other as spit on each other.
Push play.
While scratching our heads and contemplating harsher punishments for violent robbers, we collectively heave a sigh of relief when we see a priest come along. He is – after all- the one who teaches the law. Surely, he will practice what he preaches. Surely his congregation will understand if he is made late because he stopped to be a neighbor to a fellow Jew.
In fact, maybe the wounded man will end up as an attendee at one of his future preaching appointments.
Maybe not.
The priest deletes the sight of suffering and turns the opposite way.
As a collective audience we are shocked. We think maybe he’s going to get help but no. He’s feigns obliviousness while moving on to the next applause from a group who believe he’s a representative of God on earth.
We sigh in disappointment, but before we wring our hands in despair a Levite comes along.
Thank God, we murmur.
Maybe the priest was off to minister to another ailing soul but surely the Levite will stop. After all, he soothes the faithful with his songs. The Levites are the chosen ones of Israel. He will do the right thing.
To our dismay he doesn’t. He sees for sure what’s going on, and like the priest before him, puts as much distance as possible between himself and the situation.
At this point we lose hope. If those who direct the worship have such calloused hearts, what do we expect from their followers.
Just then we see someone coming.
We would have hope but we’re a tad cynical by now, and as he gets close we give up. He’s a Samaritan, at least his clothes reveal that. He still comes closer to the traumatized man and right now we can only pray that he isn’t going to inflict more wounds on this obvious member of an enemy race.
For a moment we hold our breath but then we start to scratch our heads.
He’s being gentle.
Wait. He’s getting himself dirty.
Wait! He doesn’t mind the blood that has been transferred to his clothes.
Now we’re full on confused. Why is he cleaning the wounds of his enemy? Why is he soothing the pain with oil.
He’s using his oil in spite of the expense.
Who spends their hard-earned resources on someone with whose tribe they are feuding?
We may be confused, but by now we know. He didn’t stop to hurt. He stopped to heal.
We watch him carry the injured man on his donkey with no care for the strain on his back lifting a fully grown man. Then he takes him to a place where he can get help.
We’re left in awe of the incredible heart that would do all of this for another, and not just another, but for someone who is part of a group they don’t get along with.
Our Samaritan however isn’t quite done. Disregarding his budget, he pays for care for the victim and assures the inn-keeper that if there are extra costs, he will make up the difference when he comes back – which presumes he is coming back to ensure the man is healed.
The pious Prophets wouldn’t even stop for one of their own, but we meet a man who assumes total responsibility of another at no benefit to himself.
We finally understand the meaning of neighbor that Webster doesn’t, and our unnamed Samaritan gets a prized place in the Scriptures.
Just incase you missed it, being a neighbor is a choice.
You don’t have to know, like or even relate to someone to be their neighbor.
You just have to decide to love them, and as Jesus himself says, that puts you close to the kingdom of God.5
Whew! What a relief for those of us who will never mount a pulpit.
How good to know if we can’t carry a tune.
The Priest and Levite were not the ones who delighted God’s heart.
It was the regular guy who decided to be a neighbor.
This man unknowingly touched the heart of God by his actions and became the poster child of what delights God when we call ourselves His followers.
The Samaritan didn’t choose the convenient.
Being a neighbor cost him money, time and effort, but the response of heaven was well worth it.
Turns out touching other hearts with our actions is how we touch God’s heart and check the box on His priority list.
1Matt 22v34
2Mk 12 v 28
3Lk 10 v 25 -37
4Mk 12 v 32
5Mk 12 v 34