Choosing to Serve - Rev. Vincent Raj Kumar

‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead’ (LK.10:30).

It is very likely that one might have listened to the parable of Good Samaritan from childhood days. The parable begins with everyday events in which the traveller travels from Jerusalem to Jericho. There are at least three different ways in which a person can respond to the presence of God in everyday events. Willingness to be interrupted ‘A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side’ (Lk.10:31).

The passing by of the priest may be due to the assumption that the man was dead and touching a dead body would make him unclean. ‘Whoever touches the dead body of anyone will be unclean for seven days’ (Num.19:11). This would mean losing his turn of duty in the temple; and he refused to risk that. For him, ritual purity was the priority than compassion and charity. ‘So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side’ (Lk.10:32).

The Levites were cultic officials, sub-ordinates to the priest, but nevertheless a privileged group in the Jewish society. We see the Levite too passing by, came near the victim but could not help, their motto was ‘safety first’. The priest and the Levite could not respond to the person who was beaten and nearly killed because they were not willing to be interrupted. It is through our willingness to be interrupted for the sake of the others, we are called to respond the presence of God in this world.

Willingness to Cross Social Barriers: ‘But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine’ (Lk.10:33-34). Normally the Samaritans were considered apostate. They were universally regarded as objects of contempt. Even in an adverse situation, no Jew will expect a Samaritan to come to his rescue. Similarly, a Samaritan cannot reach out so easily to attend a Jew because of the animosity that they have toward each other.

This Samaritan did not bother about the identity of the victim, rather his humanitarian concern help him to focus on the crisis. He ventured to help the Jew crossing the socio-cultural and religious barriers. It is this spontaneous response of the Samaritan that Jesus highlights to counter the compliances of the religion in the case of the priest and Levite. To respond to the ‘mission dei’ in the world, one should have the willingness to break social barriers.

This would help us take God’s presence to the people irrespective of their background. Willingness to show Hospitality: ‘Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ (Lk.10:34-35). For the Samaritan, caring was not a cosmetic treatment but a real concern for the well being of the victim.

This is evident from the fact that he did not leave the wounded traveller after helping in first aid but also stayed whole of that night with the victim. Apart from the fact that he paid for his treatment, he used his time and energy. True hospitality involves both sharing and caring. The priest and the Levite kept to the opposite sides and passed him by. With no sign of concern for the misfortune of another, each left him behind to die. To this extent, the priest and the Levite, for all their religion, were no better than the thieves and the bandits who had abandoned him.

When we recall the response of the priest and Levite, it is lamentable to observe how selfishness governs all ranks; how many excuses that we all make to avoid trouble, and cost in relieving others. But the true children of God have the law of love written in their heart. This spirit of Christ dwells in them; Christ’s image is renewed in their soul. Therefore, as a community, we should have the nature of the Good Samaritan and should imitate such people as commanded by Jesus at the end of the parable. It is quite natural that many a time we too run into situations, where our daily schedules takes priority than our concerns for our neighbour. The parable of ‘the Good Samaritan’ challenges us for a higher standard of love and compassion towards our neighbour, a way through which we can respond to the presence of God in the world.