The Parables of Jesus: The Masks We Wear, the Roles We Play

Week 1: The Parable of the Good Samaritan: Luke 10: 25-37

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “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. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

The man who challenged Jesus was well-versed in the Law (with a capital “W”).  When we hear this story we might think about a lawyer who is knowledgeable about the civil and criminal codes of law, but in first-century Palestine, the Law of God was inseparable from the laws of man.  In response, Jesus offers a summation of the whole of the Law of God: “You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself,” and then Jesus goes on to demonstrate through a parable who our neighbor is and what it means to show them love. 

As is so often the case with the Parables, Jesus tells a story with multiple roles and in so doing invites us to consider what role we find ourselves playing in the very human drama of life.  The Parable of the Good Samaritan is particularly provocative because we might find ourselves drawn to any of four roles: the Levite, the priest, the Samaritan and the man who was beaten and left for dead.  

The Levites were the tribe of Israelites descended from Levi, one of the twelve sons of Jacob and the priests of Israel were a group of qualified men from within the tribe of the Levites who had responsibility over aspects of tabernacle or temple worship. All priests were to be Levites, according to the Law, but not all Levites were priests.  The point of Jesus’ use of the two is probably to indicate that both were considered holy and righteous. The Samaritans, on the other hand, were despised by the Jews because they had profaned the Jewish faith by intermarrying and adopting the religious practices of others. When Jesus portrays the hero of the story as a Samaritan, his listeners would have considered the notion ridiculous and may have even been outraged.    

Questions to ponder:  On a very basic level, this parable asks us to consider if we were in a similar situation would risk ourselves to lend a hand? Are we willing to get our hands dirty and bloody if that is what is required to help a neighbor? Would we even go so far as to use our own resources to provide for her/his care? On a deeper level, the story asks us to think about who is a “Samaritan” to us and if we could ever see one of them as compassionate and faithful. Are we vulnerable enough to admit that there are times we have found ourselves in the place of the man who was beaten and bloodied?  Who has been like a Samaritan to us? And, ultimately, who is our neighbor?