IT’S (RELATIVELY) EASY TO ACCEPT HELP FROM A FRIEND –

BUT WHAT ABOUT AN​​ ENEMY?  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ Luke 10:25-37

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 1/30/22

PERHAPS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE TO OUR RECEIVING​​ 

A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THIS PARTICULAR PARABLE,

WHICH WE KNOW AS “THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN,”

IS THAT WE ARE ALL SO​​ FAMILIAR​​ WITH IT THAT WE THINK

WE​​ ALREADY​​ KNOW​​ ALL​​ THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT IT.

IN ORDER TO​​ REKINDLE​​ YOUR INTEREST IN THIS STORY,

LET ME BEGIN BY LETTING THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG

THAT WAS ORIGINALLY GOING TO BE LET OUT

TOWARD THE END OF THIS SERMON.

THE LOOSE CAT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION IS THE FACT

THAT THIS PARABLE IS JUST AS MUCH ABOUT THE​​ 

MAN-WHO-FELL-AMONG-THIEVES​​ AS IT IS ABOUT

THE GOOD SAMARITAN WHO HELPED HIM.

LOOKED AT FROM​​ THIS​​ PERSPECTIVE, THE PARABLE IS NOT JUST

ABOUT OUR​​ GIVING​​ HELP TO THOSE IN NEED,

BUT JUST AS MUCH ABOUT OUR​​ RECEIVING​​ HELP FROM THOSE​​ 

WHOM WE CONSIDER TO BE OUR​​ ENEMIES,

THAT IS, THOSE WHOM WE MOST STRONGLY​​ DISLIKE,

THOSE WHOM WE FIND MOST​​ DISAGREEABLE.

LOOKED AT FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE, THE CHALLENGE​​ 

OF THIS PARABLE,​​ IN​​ ADDITION​​ TO THAT OF BEING

A GOOD NEIGHBOR,​​ THEN​​ BECOMES: ​​ HOW GOOD AM I

AT​​ RECEIVING​​ HELP FROM THE VERY PERSON I WOULD​​ LEAST

LIKE TO RECEIVE HELP FROM?

BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THIS​​ NEW​​ TAKE ON THIS PARABLE,

LET’S TAKE A​​ NEW​​ LOOK AT SOME VERY​​ FAMILIAR​​ TERRITORY.

IN MIDDLE EASTERN TRADITIONAL CULTURE THE TEACHER​​ SITS

AND THE STUDENT SHOWS​​ RESPECT​​ FOR THE TEACHER

BY​​ STANDING​​ TO ANSWER OR TO RECITE.

OUR TEXT TELLS US THAT THE LAWYER​​ STANDS,

NOT IN ORDER TO​​ ANSWER, BUT IN ORDER TO​​ TEST.

TESTING A​​ TEACHER​​ IN THAT CULTURE IS A WAY OF SHOWING

DISRESPECT, EVEN​​ CONTEMPT.

BUT THE LAWYER ONLY SUCCEEDS IN SHOWING​​ 

HIS​​ OWN​​ IGNORANCE BECAUSE HIS QUESTION IS​​ STUPID.

YOU’VE HEARD ME SAY AGAIN AND AGAIN THAT THERE’S

NO SUCH THING AS A STUPID QUESTION.

HERE’S THE​​ EXCEPTION​​ TO THAT RULE.

“WHAT MUST I​​ DO​​ TO​​ INHERIT​​ ETERNAL LIFE?”

WHAT CAN ANYONE​​ DO​​ TO INHERIT​​ ANYTHING?

INHERITANCE, BY ITS VERY NATURE, IS A​​ GIFT, AN ACT OF​​ GRACE,

NOT​​ PAYMENT​​ FOR SERVICES RENDERED.

JESU8S SHOWS US ANOTHER OF HIS VERBAL KUNG-FU MOVES

AND ANSWERS THE LAWYER’S QUESTION WITH A QUESTION​​ 

OF HIS OWN, THUS PUTTING THE LAWYER BACK IN HIS PLACE

AS A​​ STUDENT​​ EXPECTED TO​​ ANSWER.

THIS REMINDS ME OF THE WOODY ALLEN JOKE:

INQUIRER: ​​ WHY DOES A RABBI ALWAYS ANSWER A QUESTION

WITH A QUESTION? ​​ RABBI, AFTER A LONG PAUSE:

WHY​​ SHOULDN’T​​ A RABBI ALWAYS ANSWER A QUESTION

WITH A QUESTION?

SO JESUS ANSWERS THE​​ LAWYER’S​​ QUESTION ABOUT WHAT

ONE HAS TO DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE WITH THE​​ 

FURTHER​​ QUESTION​​ “WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THE LAW?

WHAT DO YOU READ THERE?”

THE LAWYER IS PUT IN THE POSITION OF HAVING TO RECITE

THE CORRECT ANSWER, WHICH HE DUTIFULLY DOES.

JESUS THEN TELLS THE LAWYER, “FINE, FOLLOW YOUR OWN ADVICE.

LIVE UP TO THESE STANDARDS AND YOU WILL INDEED​​ 

INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE.”

TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE, ALL HE MUST DO IS TO​​ CONSISTENTLY​​ PRACTICE​​ UNQUALIFIED​​ LOVE FOR GOD AND NEIGHBOR.

IS JESUS THEREBY SAYING THAT SALVATION CAN BE​​ EARNED?

INDEED, ANYONE WHO CAN​​ MEET​​ SUCH A STANDARD

DOES NOT​​ NEED​​ GRACE.

BUT THE​​ STANDARD​​ IS TO LOVE GOD​​ UNFAILINGLY​​ 

WITH​​ ALL​​ ONE’S​​ HEART,​​ MIND,​​ SOUL, AND STRENGTH,

AND TO​​ CONSISTENTLY​​ LOVE​​ NEIGHBOR​​ AS MUCH AS​​ SELF.

AS ST. PAUL PUTS IT, THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE​​ LAW;

THE PROBLEM IS THAT​​ WE​​ CANNOT​​ KEEP​​ IT.

HERE THE STANDARD SET BY JESUS ELUDES OUR FINEST EFFORTS.

TO​​ PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, THE LAWYER ASKS,

“WHAT MUST I​​ DO​​ TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?”

AND JESUS REPLIES, “YOU MUST JUMP OVER​​ 

THIS TWENTY FOOT FENCE.”

THE LAWYER​​ SHOULD​​ BE ABLE TO SEE THAT HE SIMPLY

CANNOT​​ JUMP THAT HIGH, AND THAT HE HAD THEREBY

ASKED THE​​ WRONG​​ QUESTION.

BUT HE​​ FAILS​​ THIS EXPECTATION.

INSTEAD, HE​​ REPEATS​​ HIS QUESTION IN A DIFFERENT FORM.

HE APPARENTLY SAYS TO HIMSELF, “SO, I MUST LOVE GOD

AND​​ NEIGHBOR TO EARN MY SALVATION.

FINE. ​​ WHAT I NEED NOW ARE A FEW​​ DEFINITIONS.

TO LOVE GOD IS TO KEEP THE​​ LAW. ​​ I​​ ALREADY​​ KNOW​​ THAT.

WHAT I NEED IS SOME CLARIFICATION OF EXACTLY

WHO​​ IS​​ AND WHO IS​​ NOT​​ MY NEIGHBOR.

ONCE I HAVE CLARIFICATION ON THIS POINT, I CAN PROCEED.”

LUKE HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING THROUGH

THE LAWYER’S MIND BY INCLUDING THE SENTENCE

BUT WANTING TO​​ JUSTIFY​​ HIMSELF, HE ASKED JESUS,

“AND WHO​​ IS​​ MY NEIGHBOR?”

TO BE​​ JUSTIFIED, IN​​ BIBLICAL​​ LANGUAGE, MEANS TO BE​​ GRANTED

THE STATUS OF ONE WHOM GOD​​ ACCEPTS.

THIS FELLOW, DESIRING TO JUSTIFY​​ HIMSELF, IS CLEARLY A PERSON

WHO WANTS TO ACHIEVE ACCEPTANCE FROM GOD​​ 

ON HIS​​ OWN​​ MERITS.

SO HE ASKS, “WHO​​ IS​​ MY NEIGHBOR?”

AS A GOOD FIRST CENTURY JEWISH PERSON, HE EXPECTS JESUS,

ALSO A GOOD FIRST CENTRUY JEWISH PERSON,

TO RESPOND WITH A​​ LIST​​ THAT THE LAWYER HOPES HE CAN​​ MANAGE.

IN HIS MIND, JESUS CAN BE COUNTED ON TO GIVE THE STANDARD​​ 

ANSWER THAT ONE’S NEIGHBOR WILL NATURALLY INCLUDE​​ 

THE FELLOW JEW WHO KEEPS THE LAW IN A PRECISE FASHION.

GENTILES ARE​​ NOT​​ NEIGHBORS, AND EVERYONE KNOWS​​ 

THAT GOD​​ HATES​​ THE SAMARITANS.

WITH A CAREFUL LINE DRAWN BETWEEN THOSE WHO​​ ARE​​ 

AND THOSE WHO ARE​​ NOT​​ HIS NEIGHBORS, THE LAWYER

WOULD BE EQUIPPED TO​​ EARN​​ HIS WAY TO ETERNAL LIFE.

TRUE TO FORM, INSTEAD OF GIVING A​​ DIRECT​​ ANSWER

TO THE LAWYER’S QUESTION, RABBI JESUS​​ 

CHOOSES TO TELL A​​ STORY​​ IN THE FORM OF A​​ PARABLE.

AGAIN, TRUE TO FORM, THE STORY IS DESIGNED TO

TRAP​​ THE LAWYER INTO HAVING TO AFFIRM

A MUCH​​ BIGGER​​ DEFINITION OF THE WORD “NEIGHBOR”​​ 

THAN HE IS​​ COMFORTABLE​​ WITH.

IN FACT, JESUS’ DEFINITION OF “NEIGHBOR” AS USED​​ 

IN THIS PARABLE IS THE MOST​​ INCLUSIVE​​ DEFINITION OF THIS WORD

EVER PROPOSED BY ANYONE ANYWHERE.

IT EXCLUDES​​ NO​​ ONE.

SO JESUS CHOOSES TO TELL A STORY, AND THE STORY IS ABOUT

A MAN WALKING THE NOTORIOUSLY​​ DANGEROUS​​ SEVENTEEN MILES

FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO, A ROAD FAMOUS​​ 

FOR THE MULTITUDE OF ITS MUGGERS AND MUGGINGS.

THE TRAVELER IN JESUS’ STORY IS INDEED MUGGED, BEATEN,

AND LEFT UNCONSCIOUS AT THE BORDER OF DEATH.

THIS SETS THE STAGE FOR THE THREE PASSERS-BY.

IN THE STORYTELLING TRADITION OF THE TIME, JESUS’ AUDIENCE

WOULD HAVE​​ EXPECTED​​ A THREESOME CONSISTING​​ OF A PRIEST,

A LEVITE, AND AN ISRAELITE, OR LAYMAN.

WE MIGHT COMPARE A MODERN JOKE ABOUT A PRIEST, A RABBI, AND A MINISTER.

HOWEVER, JESUS​​ BREAKS​​ THE​​ EXPECTED​​ SERIES

BY USING A PRIEST, A LEVITE, AND A​​ SAMARITAN.

A COMPARABLE MODERN DISJUNCTION FOR​​ US​​ WOULD BE​​ 

A JOKE ABOUT A PRIEST, A RABBI, AND A​​ REFUGEE.

THE LAWYER, AND ALL THOSE OVERHEARING THIS STORY,

INCLUDING JESUS’ DISCIPLES, WOULD HAVE BEEN​​ 

STUNNED​​ AND​​ SHOCKED​​ AT THE USE OF A​​ SAMARITAN​​ AS THE HERO.

BECAUSE OF THEIR STATUS AS​​ BOTH​​ HALF-BREEDS​​ AND​​ HERETICS,

SAMARITANS WERE CONSIDERED​​ DOUBLY​​ UNCLEAN,

WORSE, EVEN, THAN GENTILES.

THE FIRST PERSON TO PASS BY IS A PRIEST.

THE PRIEST FINDS HIMSELF FACED WITH A DILEMMA.

HOW DOES HE​​ KNOW​​ THE VICTIM IS A​​ NEIGHBOR?

BECAUSE THE ROBBERS TOOK THE VICTIM’S​​ CLOTHES,

THE PRIEST CANNOT DETERMINE HIS​​ ETHNIC​​ ROOTS.

BECAUSE THE VICTIM IS​​ UNABLE TO​​ SPEAK,

HE CANNOT IDENTIFY HIM BY HIS​​ ACCENT.

WHY, THE MAN MIGHT NOT EVEN BE JEWISH!

ANOTHER POSSIBILITY EXISTS: ​​ THE MAN MIGHT EVEN BE​​ DEAD.

AS A PRIEST, THE CEREMONIAL LAW FORBIDS HIM TO GO CLOSER

THAN FOUR CUBITS, ABOUT SIX FEET, TO A CORPSE.

HE WOULD HAVE TO OVERSTEP THAT BOUNDARY​​ 

JUST TO DETERMINE THE CONDITION OF THE VICTIM.

IF HE DOES THAT, AND THE VICTIM IS INDEED DEAD,

THE PRIEST WOULD HAVE TO TEAR HIS EXPENSIVE GARMENTS.

MORE: ​​ THE PRIEST COLLECTS, DISTRIBUTES, AND EATS TITHES.

IF HE DEFILES HIMSELF BY TOUCHING A PROHIBITED PERSON

OR DEAD BODY, HE CAN DO​​ NONE​​ OF THESE THINGS.

HIS​​ FAMILY​​ AND HIS​​ SERVANTS​​ WILL ALSO SUFFER​​ 

THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS RASH ACTIONS!

THE NEXT PERSON TO PASS BY IS A LEVITE.

THE LEVITES FUNCTIONED IN THE TEMPLE AS ASSISTANTS​​ 

TO THE PRIESTS.

THIS PARTICULAR LEVITE PROBABLY KNOWS THAT A PRIEST

IS AHEAD OF HIM ON THE ROAD.

HE MAY EVEN BE AN ASSISTANT TO THAT SAME PRIEST.

SINCE THE PRIEST HAD ALREADY SET A​​ PRECEDENT,

THE LEVITE COULD ALSO​​ PASS BY WITH AN EASY CONSCIENCE.

THE THIRD PERSON PASSING BY IS A SAMARITAN.

HE IS THE ONLY ONE OF THE THREE WHO REALLY​​ SEES​​ THE VICTIM,

AND ON​​ SEEING​​ HIS PLIGHT IS MOVED TO​​ PITY, OR​​ COMPASSION.

THIS IS THE​​ SAME​​ VERB THAT JESUS USES TO DESCRIBE

THE EMOTION OF THE FATHER OF THE PRODIGAL SON

WHEN THAT SON RETURNS HOME,

THE SAME VERB THAT JESUS USES TO DESCRIBE​​ 

GOD’S​​ COMPASSION FOR​​ ALL​​ SINNERS.

THE SAMARITAN IS RIDING​​ GOD’S​​ RIVER OF MERCY.

HIS INTERIOR COMMUNION WITH THE​​ SOURCE​​ OF COMPASSION

IS EXPRESSING ITSELF IN HIS MIND, SOUL, HEART, AND STRENGTH.

HIS LOVE OF GOD HAS MADE HIM​​ COMPASSION-READY.

SEEING THE ROBBED AND BEATED MAN MERELY TRIGGERS

WHAT IS​​ ALREADY​​ IN HIM.

ILLUMINED ACTING IS​​ CO-ACTING​​ WITH GOD.

IT IS​​ NOT​​ A STRENUOUS ACT OF​​ WILLPOWER.

RATHER, IT IS AN ACT OF​​ COOPERATION​​ 

WITH AN ABUNDANT​​ SOURCE.

IT IS LETTING​​ GO​​ AND LETTING​​ GOD.

IT​​ HAPPENS, AND​​ WE​​ HAPPEN​​ WITH​​ IT.

ILLUMINED ACTING IS FLOWING FROM AND WITH​​ LOVE.

THE IDEAL SEQUENCE OF RESPONSES ILLUSTRATED​​ 

BY THE SAMARITAN IN THIS STORY IS TO​​ FEEL​​ SOMETHING,

TO​​ WANT​​ TO DO SOMETHING, AND, FINALLY,

TO ACTUALLY​​ DO​​ SOMETHING.

JESUS IS MAKING​​ TWO​​ SHOCKING POINTS IN THIS STORY.

THE FIRST SHOCKING POINT IS PRECISELY​​ 

THE​​ GOODNESS​​ OF THE​​ SAMARITAN.

WHEN THE STORY IS READ AS ONE TOLD TO A JEWISH AUDIENCE

BY A JEWISH JESUS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO AVOID FACING

THE GOOD MAN NOT JUST AS​​ GOOD, BUT AS A GOOD​​ SAMARITAN.

THE STORY CHALLENGES THE HEARER TO​​ PUT​​ TOGETHER

TWO​​ IMPOSSIBLE​​ AND​​ CONTRADICTORY​​ WORDS FOR THE​​ SAME

PERSON:​​ SAMARITAN​​ AND​​ NEIGHBOR.

THE​​ LITERAL​​ POINT OF THE STORY IS TO CONFRONT ITS HEARERS

WITH THE NECESSITY OF SAYING THE IMPOSSIBLE AND HAVING

THEIR WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN AND RADICALLY QUESTIONED.

THE​​ METAPHORICAL​​ POINT IS THAT​​ JUST​​ SO​​ DOES GOD’S KINGDOM

ABRUPTLY BREAK INTO A PERSON’S CONSCIOUSNESS

AND DEMAND THE OVERTURNING OF​​ PRIOR​​ VALUES,​​ 

CLOSED​​ OPTIONS,​​ SET​​ JUDGMENTS, AND​​ ALREADY​​ ESTABLISHED​​ 

CONCLUSIONS.

THE​​ SECOND​​ RADICAL POINT THAT JESUS IS MAKING,

A POINT LARGELY LOST​​ LOST​​ ​​ 

ON​​ CHRISTIAN​​ HEARERS OF THIS PARABLE,​​ ​​ 

IS THE IMPLICIT COMMAND TO​​ LOVE​​ ONE’S ENEMY

BY​​ ACCEPTING​​ HELP​​ FROM THAT SAME ENEMY.

JESUS KNEW THAT THE JEWISH LAWYER, THE JEWISH PEASANTS,

THE JEWISH PHARISEES, AND HIS OWN JEWISH DISCIPLES

WOULD BE​​ UNABLE​​ TO​​ IDENTIFY​​ WITH THE​​ SAMARITAN​​ 

IN THIS STORY.

THE​​ STRETCH​​ WOULD BE JUST TOO GREAT FOR THEM.

THE PERSON THEY​​ COULD​​ AND​​ WOULD​​ IDENTIFY WITH

WOULD BE THE​​ JEWISH​​ VICTIM.

SEEN FROM THE​​ VICTIM’S​​ POINT-OF-VIEW, THIS STORY,

IF ANYTHING, BECOMES EVEN​​ MORE​​ RADICAL,

EVEN​​ MORE​​ CHALLENGING, BECAUSE IT MOVES US

FROM THE REALM OF​​ DOING​​ GOOD TO ONE WE INTENSELY DISLIKE,

TO​​ ACCEPTING​​ GOOD FROM ONE WE INTENSELY DISLIKE.

SEEING THE PARABLE FROM THE​​ VICTIM’S​​ PERSPECTIVE

MOVES THE INTERPRETATION FROM MERELY FOLLOWING

A​​ MORAL​​ EXAMPLE​​ TO THE MUCH​​ HARDER​​ CHALLENGE

TO​​ LOVE​​ ONE’S​​ ENEMIES.

OF COURSE JESUS WANTS HIS FOLLOWERS TO AID

THOSE IN NEED, BUT HE ALSO WANTS THEM TO SEE THE WORLD

FROM THE BOTTOM UP AND TO KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE

NOT ONLY TO​​ GIVE​​ AID, BUT TO​​ NEED​​ AID, AND TO​​ RECEIVE​​ AID –

AID GIVEN BY ONE WE VIEW AS AN​​ ENEMY.

AND LET​​ US​​ NOT LET​​ OURSELVES​​ OFF THE HOOK TOO EASILY

BY IMMEDIATELY IMAGINING THAT THIS ENEMY-AID

HAS TO COME FROM SOME WILDLY​​ IMPROBABLE​​ SOURCE

LIKE A​​ TERRORIST​​ OR EVEN A​​ REFUGEE.

THE​​ REAL​​ CHALLENGE FOR US WOULD BE TO ALLOW OURSELVES

TO RECEIVE AID FROM AN “ENEMY” WHO IS A FAMILY MEMBER,

CO-WORKER, OR FELLOW-STUDENT WHOM WE INTENSELY​​ DISLIKE,

AND JUST AS INTENSELY​​ REJECT.

HERE​​ IS WHERE JESUS’ COMMAND TO “LOVE ONE’S ENEMIES”

MOVES​​ FROM AN EASILY-IGNORED​​ GENERALITY​​ TO SOMETHING​​ 

WHICH IS SHOCKINGLY​​ SPECIFIC, SOMETHING WHICH IS

IMPOSSIBLE​​ TO DO ON OUR​​ OWN​​ POWER,

SOMETHING WHICH IS​​ ONLY​​ POSSIBLE IF​​ WE​​ LET GO AND LET​​ GOD.

(PAUSE)

LET’S LOOK AT THIS PARABLE FROM​​ JESUS’ PERSPECTIVE.

JESUS SEES EACH OF US AS WALKING DOWN A ROAD

AS PERILOUS AS THE JOURNEY FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO,

THE JOURNEY WE MAKE FROM BIRTH TO DEATH.

IT IS A ROAD OF EXQUISITE​​ BEAUTY​​ AND​​ ADVENTURE,

BUT ALSO ONE OF GREAT​​ PERIL.

SUCH GREAT PERIL, IN FACT, THAT WE CANNOT MAKE THE JOURNEY

WITHOUT BEING BESET, FROM TIME TO TIME, BY VICIOUS ROBBERS.

YOU KNOW SOME OF THEIR NAMES: DESPAIR, ADDICTION, REJECTION, UNREMITTING LONELINESS, UNREASONING FEAR,

RELENTLESS RAGE, CRUSHING DEFEAT.

THEY SPRING UPON US WHEN WE ARE LEAST READY,​​ 

AND EVENTUALLY THEY BEAT US AND LEAVE US HALF DEAD –

YES, AND WORSE, FOR THEIR ATTACK IS SUCH THAT,

UNLESS​​ HELP​​ COMES, WE WILL SURELY DIE.

LYING IN THAT HALF-DEAD STATE, UNABLE TO HELP OURSELVES,

WE HEAR FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING.

WE RECOGNIZE THE TRAVELER AS ONE WHOSE HELP WE​​ WELCOME,

FOR HE WILL LET US PAY OUR OWN WAY, ALLOWING US​​ 

TO HOLD ON TO OUR SELF-SUFFICIENCY.

WE EXPLAIN THAT WE ARE​​ DESERVING, THAT OUR​​ CREDENTIALS​​ 

ARE GOOD, THAT WE’VE ALWAYS HAD A GOOD​​ RECORD.

BUT THE STRANGER PASSES US BY.

HE IS ABLE TO HELP ONLY THOSE WHO DON’T​​ NEED​​ HELP,

AND, AT BEST, HIS HELP IS​​ SUPERFICIAL​​ AND​​ TEMPORARY.

IN TRUTH,​​ NO​​ ONE​​ CAN PAY HIS OR HER OWN WAY​​ 

IN OUR PREDICAMENT; AFTER ALL, WE’VE BEEN ROBBED​​ 

AND STRIPPED, SO HOW​​ CAN​​ WE PAY OUR WAY?

NOW ANOTHER STRANGER APPEARS. ​​ 

WE APPEAL TO HER ON THE BASIS OF OUR​​ SINCERITY.

WE NEVER​​ INTENDED​​ TO GET INTO TROUBLE.

AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES AREN’T REALLY​​ OUR​​ FAULT.

WE’VE​​ MEANT​​ WELL; DOESN’T SINCERITY COUNT FOR ANYTHING?

BUT AS THIS STRANGER PASSES, WE REALIZE THAT, OF ITSELF,

SINCERITY IS NO VIRTUE.

AFTER ALL, IT’S QUITE POSSIBLE TO BE SINCERELY​​ WRONG.

AND, SINCERE OR NOT, WE’RE IN​​ TROUBLE.

THEN A THIRD STRANGER COMES.

CLEARLY, HE IS A​​ SAMARITAN, FOR HE CARRIES A​​ CROSS,

AND WE REMEMBER THAT ANCIENT SCRIPTURE SAYS,​​ 

“CURSED IS ANYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE.”

STILL WORSE, AS HE DRAWS NEAR, WE REMEMBER A DESCRIPTION

FROM LONG AGO: “HE WAS DESPISED AND REJECTED. . .

A MAN OF SORROWS, AND ACQUAINTED WITH GRIEF;

HE WAS DESPISED, AND WE ESTEEMED HIM NOT.”

A SAMARITAN, INDEED!

BUT​​ HE​​ VOLUNTEERS TO HELP.

WE TRY TO EXPLAIN: “I CAN PAY MY OWN WAY.

I’M A DESERVING PERSON, YOU KNOW.”

THE STRANGER ANSWERS, “NO ONE CAN​​ PURCHASE​​ WHAT I OFFER,

NOR CAN ANYONE​​ DESERVE​​ IT. ​​ BUT I SHALL BE GLAD​​ 

TO​​ GIVE​​ IT TO YOU.”

AND HE LIFTS US TO HIS DONKEY,

A WONDROUSLY AWKWARD BEAST CALLED​​ GRACE.

BUT YOU AND I DON’T WANT​​ THAT​​ KIND OF HELP.

THIS SAMARITAN​​ EMBARRASSES​​ US BY HIS VERY​​ 

KINDNESS​​ AND​​ COMPASSION, BECAUSE HE WON’T LET US

PAY OUR OWN WAY, AND BECAUSE HE ISN’T IMPRESSED

BY OUR CREDENTIALS.

IT IS A​​ GIFT​​ THAT WE CAN NEVER, IN ANY WAY, REPAY.

SOMETIMES WE THINK WE’D RATHER​​ DIE​​ IN OUR​​ LOSTNESS

THAN​​ HUMBLE​​ OURSELVES​​ TO RECEIVE THIS STRANGER’S GIFT.

I HAVE A FEELING THAT THE DYING MAN IN JESUS’ PARABLE​​ 

MUST HAVE FELT THIS WAY WHEN HIS HELP CAME BY WAY​​ 

OF A DESPISED SAMARITAN, AND I KNOW FULL WELL

THAT YOU AND I DRAW BACK WHEN GOD’S ETERNAL SAMARITAN

EXTENDS​​ HIS​​ OFFER.

WE ACCEPT HIM ONLY WHEN​​ OUR NEED IS SO​​ DESPERATE

THAT WE​​ MUST​​ ACCEPT HIM –

ONLY WHEN WE FINALLY ADMIT THAT WE ARE POWERLESS​​ 

TO HELP​​ OURSELVES; AND ONLY WHEN WE SEE​​ 

WHAT​​ ACCEPTANCE​​ AND​​ LOVE​​ THIS DIVINE SAMARITAN OFFERS.

ONLY THEN ARE WE WILLING TO BE LIFTED ONTO THAT DONKEY

CALLED GRACE AND RIDE IT, ALONGSIDE CHRIST THE SAMARITAN,

INTO GOD’S SAFE AND ETERNAL LODGING.

AMEN.