Brian’s Reflection: The Weekend, Sat, July 11, 2010

A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho,
and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him,
beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. …..
a Samaritan ….. was moved with pity ….. looked after
him ….. Jesus said ….. "Go and do likewise."

Jesus of Nazareth, in a parable.
[ Gospel reading for this Sunday]

I give thanks to the Good News called Luke. We wouldn’t have this story otherwise.

The priest and the Levite - such “upright” Jews, the highest representatives of God’s love – simply “passed by on the other side”. Who gave a shit about an unfortunate victim whom touching would make a “righteous” Jew ritually unclean! But the non-Jew Samaritan – trust Jesus to chose him to make His point! - whom the Jews despised, showed compassion, generosity, and self-giving love – he did everything to attend to the man.

This is such a powerful parable – and those who heard it must have been stunned by its power, by its rolling into their hearts, by its jolting them into thinking about how faithful or more likely not they had been in serving and emulating their Heavenly Father, and understanding God’s Will.

The point? Any rule of religion which turns us away from acting in compassion and generous concern for another, no matter who they are, friend or enemy, is the deepest insult to “God”. And to our Humanity.

“Go and do likewise.” There are no legitimate alternatives.

Brian+