Am I a Samaritan?

To make up, as it were, for the negative impression we might have drawn from the Gospel narrative of last Sunday, where we read about the unwelcoming treatment given by the Samaritans to Jesus and his disciples as they were crossing their territory on their way to Jerusalem, we read in Luke's gospel today about Jesus presenting the 'Good Samritan' as a genuine example of love and hospitality.

This Jesus did by telling the moving parable of the Good Samaritan answering the question addressed to him by a teacher of the law: "Who is my neighbour?" In the parable we read that a man, while on his way to Jericho, fell into the hands of some brigands, who robbed him of all he had and beat him, leaving him half dead.

The rest we have heard many times. Of all those who passed by, none took any notice of him, except a Samaritan traveller who was moved with compassion when he saw him. He first administered first-aid as well as he could, and then he even carried him on his mule to the inn and paid for all the expenses, with the promise of making up for any extra money on his way back. Then Jesus said to the lawyer who had set the question: "Go, and do likewise."

In answer to our own request for a self-serving definition of neighbour, Jesus provides us with this stunning narrative image as if to say: "You too often ask for a definition of neighbour when you come across somebody in need of help. Well then, such a person is your neighbour. You as well must be a neighbour to any human being in need."

On our way home or to work or to our place of relaxation we are bound sooner or later to come across our 'Samaritan'. At some time or other, I am sure, a similar thought comes to our mind, discouraging us from being a Samaritan.

I would like to help. But then I am short of time. Besides, I would not know how to go about it. I would rather not interfere. I am sure somebody else more capable than I will be passing by. The end result of sueh egoistic tergiversation will then be, more often than not, that I will soon start condemning myself for having missed a golden opportunity to put my Christian charity into practice and to do a good turn for the benefit of another person.

At a time when hostilities, often quite trivial or existing only in our egoistic mind, tear apart our bonds of friendship and even of human coexistence, the parable of the Good Samaritan challenges us to take our membership in the human family with the utmost seriousness and with an attitude that is always inspired by charity.

All of which makes even more sense for a Christian, who knows that after all charity does not 'begin at home', but wherever the need arises and whenever we become aware that a fellow human being is in need of help. We all remember Christ's words when he said: "Not those who keep saying 'Lord, Lord!' enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of the Father who is in heaven." There can be no doubt for a Christian that God is our common Father and we humans are all brothers and sisters

Here come quite appropriate the words written by St Bernard of Clairvaux: "Justice seeks out the merits of the case, but compassion only regards the need." If we only keep our eyes and hearts open, we will soon discover that around the corner there is always a fellow man who is trying to find out whether or not he can see Jesus' face in us.