Meditations On The Gospel Of Luke For The FamilySample

"MEDITATION 16: A Victim of Robbers and a Good Samaritan."

We have read this parable and heard it so many times that it is really hard not to fall into the trap of the repeated, trite cliché. Perhaps we could try to approach the text from another perspective, different from the typical “moralizing” sermon. The character involved in the dialogue with Jesus, and those in the parable itself, deserve our attention and can clarify aspects of the text that sometime go unnoticed.

First, the setting. Just after the return of the Seventy-Two, Jesus experiences a moment of joy when he sees how the unlearned and childlike (the disciples themselves), can understand the hidden mysteries of the kingdom.

And here comes “a scholar of the Law,” ready to put Jesus to the test with a trick question. We must remember, once again, that in all the legal or strictly religious discussions Jesus has, his opponents are either teachers of the Law or Pharisees. After Jesus answers the trick question, passing the test, the scholar tries once more to acquit or “justify” himself.
Jesus’ parable presents its own characters. First, the victim, a man whose origin we ignore, but we can assume he was a Jew. A victim of robbers, he could be dead and, if so, would be a source of ritual impurity for those who approached or touched him. This fact is vital, as it explains the attitude of the priest and the Levite. They would likely be going to the temple in Jerusalem and any impurity they might encounter would prevent them from taking part in worship. Legally speaking, both act correctly.

The “Good” Samaritan, is an oxymoron in Jewish thinking, for it would be impossible for any Samaritan to be considered “good.” We know quite well the eternal hatred Jews and Samaritans felt towards one another. And, of all the travelers on the road to Jerusalem, it had to be a Samaritan who was to be an example of the attitude Jesus expected from his unlearned and childlike followers, those who were willing to follow his path to the kingdom of God. For it is the Samaritan who shows love toward one of those who hate him and whom he hates, pays for the medicines and the care that the stranger might need, all without expecting to be rewarded or repaid. It is a Samaritan who acts as a child of the Most High, and is merciful, just as the Father in heaven is merciful!

There is one more question I dare ask: who was, in fact, the real “neighbor” in the parable, the merciful Samaritan or the victim who received the gift of help and mercy from an enemy?

Rev. Fr. Mariano Perrón, Roman Catholic priest, Archdiocese of Madrid, Spain