Scripture
Luke 10:25-37 (Common English Bible)
A legal expert stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to gain eternal life?”
Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you interpret it?”
He responded, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.”
But the legal expert wanted to prove that he was right, so he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied, “A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He encountered thieves, who stripped him naked, beat him up, and left him near death. Now it just so happened that a priest was also going down the same road. When he saw the injured man, he crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. Likewise, a Levite came by that spot, saw the injured man, and crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. A Samaritan, who was on a journey, came to where the man was. But when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. The Samaritan went to him and bandaged his wounds, tending them with oil and wine. Then he placed the wounded man on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day, he took two full days’ worth of wages and gave them to the innkeeper. He said, ‘Take care of him, and when I return, I will pay you back for any additional costs.’ What do you think? Which one of these three was a neighbor to the man who encountered thieves?”
Then the legal expert said, “The one who demonstrated mercy toward him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Quote:
A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies. We are called to play the Good Samaritan on life's road side, but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life's highway. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. Compassion sees that an edifice that produces beggars needs restructuring. A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth." - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "Beyond Vietnam" at Riverside Church 1967
If you have extra time (57 minutes), here is a recording of the sermon:
Reflection:
The Good Samaritan isn't a feel-good story; it's a gut punch.
Those who should have helped, didn't.
It's a profound critique of systemic injustice. The priest and the Levite, representing the established religious and social order, passed by the wounded man, prioritizing their own comfort and ritual purity over human need. The Samaritan, an outsider, a member of a despised group, defied societal expectations and acted with radical compassion.
King's quote expands on this, highlighting the transition from individual acts of mercy to systemic change. He argues that playing the Good Samaritan is essential, but it's only the "initial act." True compassion demands that we address the root causes of suffering. The "Jericho road" itself must be transformed. This implies dismantling the structures that perpetuate inequality, violence, and poverty.
The "chasm" between stranger and neighbor is not merely a matter of personal prejudice, but a consequence of these systemic failures. The priest and Levite saw the wounded man as a potential disruption, a "stranger" to be avoided. The Samaritan, however, saw a fellow human being in need, a "neighbor" deserving of help.
Dr. King saw this: charity is a band-aid on a bullet wound.
We're called to be Samaritans, yes, but then we ask why the road breeds victims.
The "chasm" isn't just prejudice; it's a rigged system. Poverty, injustice, violence – these aren't accidents, they're designed.
King's "revolution of values" isn't optional; it's survival. Yes patch the wounds, but Luke shows us the bigger picture the factory of suffering created by apathy or a diffusion of responsibility (passing the buck). We're not just neighbors; we're accountable.
Three Questions:
Where in my own heart is my "Jericho road"? Where am I avoiding the wounded parts of myself or others, prioritizing comfort over compassion? What internal structures am I clinging to that prevent me from seeing the divine in every person?
Is my compassion a performance, or a profound encounter with the sacred? Am I giving from a place of ego or from a place of deep spiritual connection? How can I cultivate a more authentic, transformative compassion that dismantles my own internal barriers to love?
Who is the "enemy neighbor" that God is calling me to embrace? Who is the person or group that triggers my deepest fears and prejudices? What spiritual practice—prayer, meditation, acts of service—can help me bridge that internal chasm and see them with the eyes of love?
I have so many thoughts to respond to these questions. I won't write it all in one post but hope others will comment too and we can have an online conversation. That said,
King said, "charity is a band-aid on a bullet wound." What a vivid description of what I see in current times of encroaching darkness!! The systems of inequity are well-established. The world is based on win-lose competition and zero-sum. In other words, the ways of the world mean I have to lose out in order for you to gain. But God is not zero-sum (created all the universe from nothing) and God's economy is based on if you "seek first kingdom of God" and "give generously" then…