In the name of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The
parable of “The Good Samaritan” may be the most well-known passage in the
entire Bible. We have hospitals, outreach organizations, and laws named after
the “Good Samaritan.” Even the great cultural icon of the 90s, the television
show Seinfeld used the image of the
Good Samaritan in its final episode. We use that moniker, “Good Samaritan,” to
denote selfless action – so people who go out of their way to help other people
are called “good Samaritans.” The moral of the story ends up being “Help those
in need.” But I’m not convinced that’s why Jesus told the story. After all,
this is a parable, not a fable with a moral to it. Furthermore, the Old
Testament is full of examples where God tells the people to help those in need.
It’s not like Jews didn’t know that they were called to take care of their
neighbors. Jesus doesn’t tell this parable as a way of saying “Be nice to
other.” So, then, why might Jesus have told this parable?
