In the parable of the Good Samaritan it is intriguing to notice how the lawyer – who could also be a scribe – asks a question. Jesus does not answer the question but asks another question. This is a way that certain cultures speak and write: using a series of questions that will lead to a deeper understanding.
After his initial question, notice how the lawyer, we are told, eager to “justify himself” asks Jesus “Who is my neighbour?” He seems to want Jesus to pick out the people deserving of his love. He is not satisfied with the answer that Jesus has offered. He wants Jesus to “label” who his neighbour is. Jesus chooses to answer the question with a story – one that
the lawyer (and everyone else standing by) would be able to relate to.
Jesus explains how the man is attacked on what was known to be a treacherous road. Jesus’ hearers would have wondered why this man was travelling alone, it would have been much better to be travelling with a crowd as it was less likely that bandits would have attacked a group.
Jesus speaks of the priest who passed by. If the man was dead and he touched him he would have been ritually impure for seven days. He would not have been able to perform his priestly duties. He had an “excuse” – a rationalisation – to justify his passing by.
The Levite (who assists in the temple) doesn’t face the same kind of ritual impurity. He could have touched the man. He might be wondering what to do with the man if he was alive, he might be afraid of what it would cost him. Perhaps he was fearful that if he stopped the robbers would attack him too. Maybe he thought the man was lying there as a trap – robbers
sometimes use traps to get victims. So he goes on too.
Then Jesus talks about the Samaritan. Samaritans were not accepted by the more pure Jews after they returned from Babylonian captivity and settled back in Judea. There was great rancour between them. When seeing him, Jesus says, he was “moved with compassion”.
Compassion is an important word, in Hebrew it is hesed which is not just compassion but also mercy. It is a pain and discomfort on the inside which leads you to reach out and heal someone who is suffering because you both suffer. It is a searing of the heart when ones sees the pain and suffering of another. It is a deep feeling and not simply a
“good deed for the day”. It is the way God reaches out to us.
It is remarkable because his heart goes out to him. Jewish, non-Jewish, Samaritan – it doesn’t matter. What matters is that his heart touches the tragedy of the man.
Take time today to think the importance of questions and the way you ask questions. Do you seek deeper understanding? Or do you ask questions to justify and label others? When faced with the ills of another do you tend to stay away and rationalise why you do? Or are you fearful of reaching out because of what it may cost you? Can you think of a time when you
heart was moved with hesed? Recall that moment.
