THE GREAT GOOD SAMARITAN

THE GREAT GOOD SAMARITAN

By Fr. Felix (African Times Guest Writer)

To many Jew at the time of Jesus the

character of the Samaritans was such that a

Good Samaritan was a contradiction in terms. It

is striking that Luke changes the dialogue

about the two commandments.

In Mark’s and Matthew’s accounts Jesus

answers the question about the

commandments, while in Luke Jesus

challenges the questioner, who then himself

gives the right answer.

The mugging is depicted in the Wadi Qilt, a

ravine running down from Anathoth, just north

of Jerusalem, to Jericho. Its twists and turns

give it ideal opportunities for ambush, and it is

still occupied by (comparatively friendly)

bandits.

It is also striking that, in the lawyer’s reply at

the very end, despite Jesus’ praise of the

rescuer, cannot bring himself to pronounce the

hated name, ‘Samaritan’, and says ‘the one

who…’. The dry humour of the story consists in

the conscientious dilemma of the priest and the

Levite: if the huddled traveller turns out to be

dead, they will incur corpse-defilement and be

unable to perform their sacred duties! This legal

dilemma makes the Samaritan’s attentive

generosity all the more poignant, for a

Samaritan is free of any such hang-ups.

Love shown to the unfortunate and the down-

trodden is always a major theme for Luke. But

note also the Samaritan’s careful

administration of his funds: he gives not a

blank cheque but two days’ wages, which he

will supplement on his return if necessary!