Yeah, it’s a known story, yes, it is a familiar story…and unfortunately … that only does us – “a huge disservice.”
We are comfortable with the story. We “get it,” we understand it. We have heard it many, many times.
And we assume from the “git-go” that we understand what is happening in the text.
The “mere presence” of a lawyer would seem to indicate that complications are about to arise.
One comment that needs to be made is that the parable is told in response to the sophistry of a lawyer who is “testing” Jesus.
We know at the time of Jesus, the honorable way for “an elite person” to put a lower-class “upstart” – back into their “proper place” was to verbally challenge them in front of a crowd. That seems to be what is occurring here.
The lawyer is looking for a little honor and praise for himself. Plus he is attempting to put down – Jesus at the same time… His goal is to diminish Jesus in the eyes of the crowds.
Lawyers unfortunately suffer a lot of “bad press” and are the butt of thousands upon thousands of jokes.
“This lawyer” is just another case in point.
The lawyer is attempting to make Jesus lose face before the crowds – because of his lack of “real” knowledge. And thus the lawyer would receive the accolades of the crowds…and receive – great honor and glory.
It is an “adversarial” and “argumentative” profession by nature…but understand that “the entire profession” does not deserve such derision, as it has received.
It seems to me – that Jesus only frustratingly – tells his enquirer a parable.
Perhaps “because” he is “a lawyer” – he is looking for “clear norms” and exact “parameters” about just “who” your neighbor is…Who do you “have to” love?
He wants it spelled out. He wants to make sure it will stand the test of time. It needs to “hold up” in a court of law!
Apparently, loving God with heart, mind, soul and strength, and loving the neighbor as oneself is “not enough.” More is required.
We need definitions here. Definitions that everyone can accept…definitions that are accurately spelled out – and cannot be contested in a court of law.
Did you know that the definition of a neighbor then, was “one who is near?”
So, Jesus tells this “outrageous story” about an “untouchable” Samaritan.
At play here – are all the Hebraic purity laws about “blood” and “corpses.” It is a story about “ritual defilement” and about becoming “unclean.”
Of course a priest and a Levite would want to remain “ritually clean” – you avoided naked, bloody, bleeding bodies at all costs.
Touching them would require a lengthy process for becoming able to function as priests and Levites again. You could place the whole inter-workings of the Temple at risk!
I mean…Who could blame them? Who needs the headache?
Surely someone else will come along, “these are” busy pathways, after all!
Someone else will find him and do what they can for him.
We are all – so capable of deceiving ourselves and justifying all of our decisions. We can make ourselves believe just about anything we want to believe.
I would have stopped…I really would have…
I would have helped him – but…I wanted to, I really did…
The mere idea – that a despised and hated ‘no-body” was doing what is needed to inherit eternal life was completely outrageous and foreign.
How is it possible that someone whom “we despise” – was able to do what God requires and desires?
It is not supposed to work that way!
This “stupid story” was unheard of! It had to be made-up! This would not happen in the real world.
The lawyer hoped he would maintain his reputation and his intellectual standing in this verbal discussion…he failed miserably.
Levites and Priests were the cream of the crop. Nobody gave as much as them, no one was as pious and holy as them. No one was as devout as them. No one was as close to God as them…except for maybe this Samaritan!
Why he – put them all to shame!
So tell me again, who is your neighbor?