Luke 10:25-37, Colossians 1:1-14
Introduction: Oxymorons
An oxymoron is an pair of words that go together but don’t fit together. The formal definition is ‘a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms’. Let’s check out a few examples. plastic glasses, work party, taped live, peace force, a just war, accurate rumours, act naturally, adult children, aging yuppie, awfully good, amateur expert, affordable housing.
The phrase, “Good Samaritan” was somewhat of an oxymoron for Jesus’ listeners when he told them the story. The Jews figured nothing good could come out of Samaria.
Some people are held up as examples. They might be examples of behaviour to imitate. They might be examples of behaviour we should avoid. Jesus told a number of example stories, including this one. In this parable Jesus introduces a number of people who are bad examples and he gives us one person who is a good example.
What does love in action mean?
The traveller was mugged by robbers on a road that was notorious for such things. If we live in a trouble spot where there is mugging, robbery and violence, then we can become afraid. We take precautions, want to protect ourselves. We would probably not choose to travel alone. These travelled alone for the sake of the story. But we may also want to help.
It is from the religious officials that we might expect love and care but they both walked right on by. Is that what we would call love in action? In fact the priest whom Jesus refers to had a kind of excuse. For all he knew, the traveller was dead and if he, as a priest, touched a dead person, the Old Testament Law (Leviticus 21:1) said he was not in a fit state to lead worship to God. On the other hand the priest was going down that road, away from Jerusalem having carried out his duties. He was not on his way up to Jerusalem. So actually there was no excuse. Or, you could make the excuse that these people were worried that robbers were still in the area and that it would be each his turn next. If so they should have car-pooled.
Then the foreigner comes along who stops and helps the traveller. Does he show love to his neighbour? Yes, he acted like a caring neighbour and showed what it means to love your neighbour. What did he do? He came; he saw; he conquered with compassion. Compassion is the key idea. The original Greek says his heart was churned up with compassion. The shocking aspect to this story, which would have really shaken Jesus’ audience, was that this foreigner was a member of a hated minority group, yet he was doing the right thing, in contrast to the religious men who were respected and admired but didn’t do the right thing. That, too, they would have seen as an oxymoron.
Loving your neighbour means:
• Knowing who your neighbour is. ‘Anyone near you’ is the original meaning of neighbour. In Jesus’ story Jews and Samaritans were not known to be good neighbours. They were considered ancient enemies. Your neighbour includes those whom you have not even considered friends or countrymen. Your neighbour is any person in need. In our world it is like an Iranian helping a Jew; a Taliban fighter helping an American; a Somali pirate helping a European merchant sailor, an X Party politician helping a Y party politician (fill in your own selections for x and y.
• Giving love and showing compassion. What did the foreigner do to show his care? He treated the wounds and bandaged them, took the traveller to a place of safety, took personal care of him for some time, paid for extra care when he had to leave. (The money he paid the innkeeper was enough to cover the next 24 nights.) Loving your neighbour is costly in time, in money, in emotions.
Why?
We can all behave like the first two people in the story and pass by on the other side. This is the way our society works. Anything else is counter-intuitive. Frequently we hear of people not getting involved in crises. There will have to be a lot more people who follow Jesus before that will change. Jesus says we need to show our neighbourly love by meeting needs around us. Those who follow Jesus do this don’t we? “If you don’t live it, you don’t believe it”. -Paul Harvey
The story answers a question related to the commandments to love God and love neighbour. This is not a passing interest kind of love but a total involvement kind of love. The kind of love with which Jesus loved us.
Paul’s words in our Colossians reading point us in this direction:
Let us give thanks to the Father,
who made us fit for the holy community of light
and rescued us from darkness,
bringing us into the realm of his beloved Son
who redeemed us, forgiving our sins.
God has given us a new identity and a new allegiance in his kingdom, and our loyalty is now to truth and compassion regardless of their consequences for the interests of any other communities or kingdoms.
How do we love God whom we can’t see? By loving our neighbour whom we can see.
Response
So, have a think about all the people in the story and consider, at this point of your life, who you relate to best:
The lawyer: so busy debating the issue that he cannot see the need,
The people who pass by: so busy with their own lives that they cannot help – although they have the means.
The beaten up man: accepting help from somebody he would rather not accept help from
The Good Samaritan: responding to a need even when he knows he is seen as inadequate
You could talk to God about it.
Want to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? Figure out how you can love your neighbour as yourself. Ask God to show you. Pick a particular person and do something for that person.