Divine surprises. July 10, 2022. The Rev. Kathleen M. Sturges

 

Luke 10:25-37

The story of the Good Samaritan. We know this one, don’t we? So really what's the point of hearing this story again? Let alone sitting through another sermon on it. Intellectually, at least, we know the answer to the question, “Who is my neighbor?” That is, everyone, without exception. And that we are to care for our neighbor like the Good Samaritan did. To “Go and do likewise,” to quote Jesus.

But there must be more to it than that - although really that is enough there to spend a lifetime on. Still what I mean is that parables are not supposed to be treated as moralistic fables with one simple takeaway message. On the contrary, the story of the Good Samaritan, along with all of Jesus' parables, are intentionally multifaceted. There are many ways to look at them - to hear them, see them, and experience them in our lives. And one way to know if we are on the right track, as far as really getting what Jesus desires to communicate through them, is if they challenge us and the status quo.

So in hopes of finding a new challenge in this old story, bear with me as we look at it again. A man is walking down the road when he's attacked by bandits. They rob, beat, strip, and leave him for dead. A priest and then a Levite come by and keep on walking by. But there’s a Samaritan. Seeing the poor soul he draws close, tends to the man's wounds, brings him to the nearest inn, pays the innkeeper for continued care, and then promises to return in a few days time to settle any outstanding bills. Indeed, this Samaritan is good.

Which makes me curious, who do you identify within the story? Perhaps, if you’re like me, on your bad days, you may recognize yourself in the priest and the Levite - one of the religious ones who passes on by. Because how many times do we see a need and choose not to respond? But then again, we have our good days too, where we engage and follow the Good Samaritan’s example to a T, caring for someone in need no matter the cost.

But what if this is more than just a good-example-to-follow story? What if, by looking at it in a different way, we see that it is also a story of reversal? A story that seeks to upset our deeply held notions of who’s good and who’s bad? What if by too easily identifying with the Good Samaritan we are most likely missing the point? The point that the Samaritan is not us.

Because remember when Jesus told this story in first century Palestine the relationship between Jews and Samaritans was rooted in deep bitterness. These two groups disagreed about everything that mattered to them: how to honor God, how to interpret scripture, even where to worship. They practiced their faith in separate temples, read different versions of the Torah, and socially avoided each other like the plague. Truth be told, they hated each other's guts. Now we might be inclined to love the Samaritan, but Jesus’ choice to make him “good” and the hero of the story was absolutely scandalous to those who heard it in real time. 

Think about it this way: who is the last person on Earth you would ever deem as “the good guy?” Who is the person you'd never want to ask for a favor, much less owe your life to? Who do you want to change or fix or control or save but never, never ever need? Who is the one you secretly, or maybe not so secretly, despise? That is your Samaritan.

Imagine if Jesus told the parable today but did a bit of recasting. Say, a progressive Democrat is beaten and left for dead. Two bleeding heart, pro-choice, “woke” liberals see the person in need, but both of them walk on by. And then comes a Trump supporter wearing a MAGA hat driving his pickup truck decked out with an American and a Confederate flag. He’s the one who pulls over and ends up saving this person’s life. How would that land with you? Or you could insert other characters as well…a racist white cop rescued by an African-American teenager. A transgender woman taken in by an anti-LGBTQ activist. A border patrol agent nursed back to life by an undocumented immigrant.

Let me be clear, I don’t mean to downplay the real and consequential differences that divide these various groups. Those differences impact lives in significant ways. But what I am trying to do is translate the deep division that existed between Jew and Samaritan into something we can understand. Something we know. Because the differences between the two groups were real and each was fully convinced that the other was dead wrong. Sound familiar? 

So what Jesus did when he deemed the Samaritan “good’ was radical and risky. It stunned his Jewish listeners. And in doing so Jesus was asking them, and by extension, asking us to dream of a different type of world. To consider the possibility that a person might add up to more than the sum of his or her political, racial, cultural, and economic identities. And, finally, to put aside cherished pre-judgments in order to make some room for divine surprises.

If the Samaritan is not us, perhaps we might consider the only character in the story who is left undefined. The one who has no identity except for his naked need. That is the poor sap dying in the ditch. Maybe it would be best for us to start identifying with this character first because if we can do that we might be more able to truly get that tribalism falls away when one is in need. There is no “us” and “them.” The only concern is who will stop and show mercy. And from that perspective we might see the God-like compassion of the Samaritan - who is the other.

It’s a simple question, “Who is my neighbor?” But by responding with this story, Jesus makes it clear that the answer is not a simple one. Yes, our neighbor is any and everyone in need with no exceptions. And we are to love our neighbor with the utmost mercy and generosity. But then there is also this, our neighbor is the one who scandalizes us with compassion. Who upends all of our entrenched categories and prejudices. Our neighbor is the one who mercifully steps over the line which separates “us” from “them” and shocks us with the real meaning of “good”-  and in doing so gives us a vision of God.