Luke 10:25-37
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Jesus was once ask who is my neighbor?...In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers...They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead...A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side...So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side...But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him...He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine...Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him...The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper...‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’...“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”...The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”...Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”...
In Jesus' Parable of the Good Samaritan we see hints and problems of racism...Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s spent much of his time working on the importance of acknowledging and addressing racism in our time...I can see the Parable of the Good Samaritan and a relationship with Dr. King's work...Both the Parable and Dr. King's work emphasize the need for compassion, empathy, and a willingness to help those in need, regardless of their background or identity...
Dr. King said: “The Indian government spent millions of rupees annually developing housing and job opportunities in villages heavily inhabited by untouchables...Moreover, the prime minister said, if two applicants compete for entrance into a college or university, one of the applicants being an untouchable and the other of high caste, the school is required to accept the untouchable...Professor Lawrence Reddick, who was with me during the interview, asked: “But isn’t that discrimination?”...“Well, it may be,” the prime minister answered...“But this is our way of atoning for the centuries of injustices we have inflicted upon these people.”...
The Parable of The Good Samaritan highlights the importance of helping others, even those who are different from us or who may be considered our enemies or who we are against...It teaches us that our true neighbors are those who we show compassion, love, and mercy...Racism can create barriers between people, preventing us from seeing others as our neighbors...Dr. King's message throughout his life was a call to break down these barriers and embrace all people with love and compassion...We can see how racism and being overlooked as an outcast can harm the individual and groups of individuals...
Dr. King added that “Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.”...So we must stand for love and love to have justice...A neighbor is one that shows mercy to his neighbor and to others...For without mercy, can we really find justice for all...Jesus' teachings and Dr. King's message emphasize the importance of action...We cannot simply be passive observers of injustice; we must actively work to create a more just and equitable society...
By understanding the parable of the Good Samaritan and applying its principles to our own lives, we can work towards overcoming racism and building a more compassionate and inclusive world...