Neighbors
7th Sunday after Pentecost
July 11 2010
Rev. Barry W. Szymanski, J.D.
First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa
READING

Luke 10:25-37

The Parable of the Good Samaritan -

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ The lawyer 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 Jesus said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’ But wanting to justify himself, the Lawyer asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ 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 travelling 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 neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ The lawyer said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’

SERMON

Some often look at the Gospels with a very critical eye – if not a jaundiced glance. What did they mean, walking on water? or curing leprosy? or giving sight to the blind? So some people have a mistrust of what the Gospels say about what Jesus did. Yet, many will admit that Jesus was a great teacher. With that in mind, let us look at one of his greatest stories – the story of the Good Samaritan.

I wrote an article which was published in the Wisconsin Lawyer magazine in July 2007. By the way, that article is still on-line. And, the photo shows a handsome author! When I submitted it, a person on the editorial board asked that I rename it, and also that I omit the reference to Luke, Chapter 10 because the reference alone was 'too religious.' My response was simple, I informed them that I just cited the Wisconsin Supreme Court, because it cited Luke, Chapter 10.

Two points:

1 – We don't like to mix religion with civil life. In theory I agree with that, but there is a certain degree of mixing which must occur. 2 – We often forget the basis, or underlying ground, of why we should act the way we do. The Good Samaritan story is about a person who helped another. Often, it becomes a cliché for the simple reason that we have heard it over and over again.

Familiarity often breeds contempt – or if not contempt, then, at least, indifference. It is not an uncomplicated statement that lay people, like the Samaritan, are nice, and religious people are not nice. There is more to this story than meets our initial impression. I'd like to spend some time on this parable – because there are points that need to be made.

But, first, let's look at it in some detail. The lawyer who had asked Jesus questions, presented this loaded one: Who is my' neighbor?' Good question! Who is anyone's neighbor? The people in the pew next to us? In front of us? Behind us? The person in the car who does not immediately move when the light turns green at an intersection? The person who was the victim of a crime? The person who is sitting in the back of a squad car, handcuffed? A server at a restaurant? The people at the table next to us at the same restaurant? A homeless person? The person behind me on an airline flight who continually kicks the back of my seat for 5 and ½ hours?

Jesus, in answering these sub-questions, told us that a man was traveling from Jerusalem to a city less than 20 miles away, through very hilly and rough terrain, to a city named Jericho. The story took place in Judea. Not in Samaria, and well south of Galilee. Vicious robbers ambushed the traveler. He may or may not have put up a fight, but, in either event, they beat him up so badly that he was barely conscious. They took everything that he owned – including his clothes!

I would like to share with you that in my past life, I actually came across a situation very similar to this. I was called to a scene less than 5 miles from here where a person was thrown from a car naked, into the snow, with no possessions, ID, or anything else. True story.

Let's say you were traveling. You depart from a cruise ship – or you park your car in a parking lot in Chicago, or New York, or Madison, Wisconsin. You are assaulted and not only are you robbed, and your money, credit cards, but also your driver's license, and your other ID's are taken. Then, while you are barely able to breathe all of your clothes are removed. You have nothing. You were nothing to those who robbed you of everything including your dignity.

Upon the scene in Jesus' story comes a man who had priestly responsibilities in the Temple. Because of his Temple obligations, he had to remain ritually pure that is, he had to avoid contact with, among other things, blood. However, there is no mention that he even attempted to talk to the bloody naked semi-conscious man, but rather went to the other side of the road in order to put as much distance between himself and that beaten man.

Next upon the scene is a Levite. If you recall the story of the birth of John the Baptist, his mother was Elizabeth, and Mary, Jesus' mother, traveled to visit Elizabeth. John's father was Zechariah, who was a Levite. The difference was that Priests were descended from the Tribe of Aaron, And Levites were descended from the Tribe of Levi.

The Book of Numbers in the Old Testament, which is part of the Torah, states that God gave the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons, to do the services of atonement on behalf of the people of Israel. Therefore, their cleanliness was of the upmost importance. Numbers 1:53 and 8:19. That importance is lost to us today, but what it means, is that each of those individuals who walked past the victim symbolically represented the leadership of Israel.

At that time, it was important for them to be ritually clean. But, what Jesus told us in the parable, is that they simply walked by, - perhaps out of religious rules; - perhaps out of fear – fear of becoming unclean. fear of being ambushed themselves. fear of becoming involved. fear for fear's own sake. But, regardless, fearful.

Along then, Jesus tells us, comes a Samaritan. Too much history to go into, but let it be said that Samaritans and Jews from Judea, and Jews from Galilee, did not interact with Samaritans. For some, Samaritans were to be hated. There are other Gospel stories of Samaritans.

Remember the story of the woman at the well? That took place in Samaria when Jesus was passing through. He asked that woman for a drink of water. Two problems – one, she was a woman, second, she was Samaritan! That story is told in John's Gospel in Chapter 4. Another story is told in John, at Chapter 8. This is after the Gospel narrative of the woman caught in adultery. Following that narrative the Gospel records a question and answer session during which, at verse 48, a person in the crowed asked Jesus this very pointed and rude question: "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan?” Imagine yourself in that crowd! Think of the stunned silence which probably followed that offensive question!

Not only was Jesus accused of being possessed – as if that were bad enough – but they also accused him of being a Samaritan!!!! Insult heaped upon insult!!!!! As an aside note, look at that ethnic slur made against Jesus to his very face.

But, back to this story. What does this Samaritan do: he is moved by pity. I think that this is important: Jesus does not interject * any of the animosity between Jews and Samaritans; * any of the religious requirements of Temple Priests or of Levites; * any of the calls to love your neighbor as you love yourself; * any philosophical construct made by our minds; but just straightforward . . . pity.

What Jesus told us is that this Samaritan felt sad because of the pain and trouble that the traveler was in. The Samaritan felt sorry for the beaten traveler. The Samaritan showed compassion. No creation in theological thinking. No raising up of moral conduct. No crafting of major philosophical principles. Just pure pity.

You heard the rest of the story – how the traveler was taken care of at great monetary and physical cost to the Samaritan. Jesus asked the crowd of listeners what they thought. He asked them, "Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?" The lawyer responded by telling Jesus that the Samaritan who treated the traveler kindly and in mercy was the neighbor. Jesus tells us to 'Go' and do the same to our neighbors.

A Canadian theologian, Douglas John Hall, wrote this:
". . it is precisely 'kindness' that is so conspicuously absent from the life of our world – a world driven by competition, greed, and individualism, but also (let us note) a world whose most ethically minded often seem apt to be more concerned

for rights than for forgiveness, for justice than for mercy, for equality than for compassion." Mr. Hall also reminds us, and I quote: ". . .try substituting the for the word 'Samaritan' (which means ittle or nothing to [us in our contemporary world]) [with] 'Muslim,' 'Sikh,' 'Buddhist,' 'Jew,' or . . . 'Catholic.'" or Presbyterian or Methodist.

I'd like to think that we in the U.S. are well beyond what Mr. Hall wrote, but I don't have his Canadian background either. However, let us not lose sight of the conversation which occurred before the telling of this story. That is when the lawyer approached Jesus. Note the way he addresses Jesus. He called him a Teacher. The lawyer recognized that Jesus had no credentials as a Rabbi – so there was a slight slur in his address. He asked Jesus what he needed to do to get eternal life? Jesus turned the tables on the lawyer – which is often not easy to do – I hope. Jesus asked the lawyer, "What is written in God's Law?" Then he asked the lawyer how the lawyer interpreted God's Law. The lawyer told Jesus that God's law is that “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."

Jesus, the crowd, and that lawyer, knew that we are to love God, not just like God, with a sense of passion, and using our muscles and employing our intelligence — and that we are to love, not just like, our neighbors as well as we love ourselves.

A theologian, Joseph Sittler [1904-1987] said this:
"I am not told that I am to like my neighbor; I am ordered to love him or her. [Martin] Luther's explication of our relation to the eneighbor brings us close to a right undertanding. Our neighbors in the biblical sense, are those persons who live in God's creation with us in the solidarity of our llife together on this earth."

Jesus affirmed that the lawyer gave the right answer. And Jesus added that if the lawyer, and the members of the crowd did that, they will live. But lawyers like wiggle room. People, generally, like to look for loopholes. We all want a 'get our of jail' free card, an excuse, an exception. That is why the lawyer asked Jesus to define the concept of 'neighbor'?"

I believe it important that Jesus did not invoke the lawyer's love of himself in response to the question. Jesus did not invoke theological divinations, or moral principles, or dreamy philosophies. Jesus went right to what makes us human – our emotions. Jesus focused upon compassion and mercy. Jesus told us that the Samaritan passerby had pity on the naked bleeding traveler.

We come full circle on this parable to the point of beginning. Are we human? Do we share our humanity with others? And if we do, then we also have love for ourselves. And that love for ourselves extends itself to our neighbor. We learn that love for God cannot exist in a vacuum. To love God with our strength means vigorous movement. To love God with our heart calls for emotive responses to God's suffering, and our neighbor's suffering, and, may I even add, the suffering of our created earth. To love God with our soul calls for prayer – intense prayer at times. To love God with our minds calls for searching for God in scripture, in silence, in others, and in the created world.

What that lawyer, over 2,000 years ago, learned, is that Jesus gives no wiggle room. Jesus gives no opportunity to dodge the message of his story. Jesus came across -- shoulder to shoulder – with what God's law demands. It seems hard for us to follow Jesus. Yet, with the law of love, and God's grace, it becomes easier.

H. Richard Niebuhr wrote that love includes at least reverence and loyalty toward others, and gratitude toward God. The Good Samaritan story has many levels of understanding. Some theologians have tried to make it very complex, by referring to Jesus as the victim, the innkeeper as the church, and so on.

I don't think that we need to go there, for Jesus speaks to simple kindness. This parable is so ecumenical – how can any person in any part of the world misuse it? Let us not misuse it either.

When the lawyer asked the question to obtain some wiggle room in order to squirm out of 'neighbor,' by hoping Jesus would say, 'Well, neighbors are all --

# except others who don't own a home, and

# except others of a different faith, and

# except others who live in a distant city, or state, or country, and

# except others who are unlike ourselves, and

# except . . . , except . . . , except.

But Jesus did not give any immunity of any kind! That is why his simple story can be understood by even the littlest of children. That is also why it is so easy to dismiss it – for it calls for simple kindness.

Let us pray using Paul's Letter to the Colossians: Lord, we ask for wise minds, and we pray that our spirits are attuned to your will. Lord, our God, we pray that we may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will; that we be given the grace of spiritual wisdom. We pray for understanding that we may lead lives worthy of you, our Lord. We pray that we be fully pleasing to you. Lord, may we, for you, bear fruit in every good work. And may we grow in the knowledge of God. May we be made strong with all the strength that comes from your glorious power. We pray that we may be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to you, our Father, who has enabled us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. For you, God, have rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of your beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, and the forgiveness of sins. Amen.

PRAYER

Lord, our God, your son, Jesus, has called us out of the comfort of 'us' and 'them' to risk discipleship without walls. Jesus has beckoned us into a world-wide fellowship where God is worshipped and served above all other. You call us into a world-wide fellowship where prayer around this earth is offered day and night. You call us into a world-wide fellowship where we are to share what we are with others. You call us into a world-wide fellowship where each person has so much to give to his and her neighbors. You call us into a world-wide fellowship where compassion and respect shape our relationships with each other. Lord, we pray for the grace so that we keep on moving out of our safe havens, but rather move into your rich fellowship of challenge and reconciliation, faith and hope. Lord, we pray for you presence and power to serve in your name. With you, Lord, we are able on this day and all days to come to work for peace, and show mercy and gentle loving-kindness to all. We pray that we not be self-serving, but a constant source of giving. For you are our essence, and the wholeness, and our fullness forever. Amen.