Luke 10:25-37
The parable of the Good
Samaritan is a summer story. I do not mean that it happens in the summer,
though it might, but that we usually get it in the summer. Well, into the
Pentecost season, we hear this familiar parable. However, now we are hearing it
where it comes in the gospel- at the start of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. He
and the disciples have just left a Samaritan village, where they were not
well-received, and they are now on the journey that will end where? (At the
cross)
Why
are they traveling to Jerusalem? Is it so that they can be near the temple for
Passover? Is it so that Jesus can confront the religious authorities and bring
about revolution as the Messiah? The journey begin far off, but with each
encounter and each parable- Jesus and the men and women traveling with him get
closer to Jerusalem and the events of betrayal and crucifixion.
Here’s
a question, though, for the start of their journey. Is what happens in
Jerusalem inevitable? Does Jesus have
to be crucified? Does the purpose of his time in the flesh on earth culminate
in the events of one dark Friday? If we believe that people have free will,
given to us by God, then Jesus does not have
to end up crucified. People could choose to recognize the Messiah, they
could heed to urging of the Holy Spirit, they could be open to God’s work in
the world. But in anger and fear, in rigidity to their expectations, in a
desire to control God, many people will stand and say, “Crucify him! Crucify
him!”
Were
there enough people to resist that? Maybe, but where were they? Many people who
are in that Jerusalem courtyard believe they are good people. They believe they
are people doing the right thing. Yet, when we look at it (and perhaps when
others on the periphery looked at the crowd), we think they are very wrong. How
could they think they were right to crucify Jesus?
Where
did they go wrong? Is it possible that the events in that courtyard start on
the road to Jericho? Does denying Jesus in a story where well-intentioned
people pass by a man dying in a ditch after having been robbed and beaten? The
people who pass by have good reasons, you know. In the story, there are two
people who pass by. Ostensibly, the priest and the Levite have very particular
reasons for not stopping. If they touch blood or a dead body, they will be
ritually unclean for a certain amount of time and, therefore, unable to perform
their religious duties. It could have been a trap, set by the robbers, to gain
additional victims from those who stop to render aid. The men may have been in
a great hurry and trusted that any one of many others on a busy road would stop
to help.
Jesus
offers these two examples because those listening to his story would have
understood the religious reasons, but also known that carrying for others is
supposed to trump religious minutiae. Then Jesus drops his bombshell for big
effect, a Samaritan- one who is outside the laws of Moses and, thus, presumably
outside the affections of God- is the one who does the right thing. A Samaritan is the one who genuinely has good
reason not to stop and help a Jew, but who abandons all else, offers aid, and
promises to return. (Speaking of, can you think of someone else unexpected who
abandons their position, offers gracious aid, and promises to return?)
One
can always find a reason not to help. It’s just this time- when I’m so busy,
when I’m not sure what to say, when things are tight, when I don’t want people
to know how I feel about this, when I’m afraid… There are always good reasons
for not acting this time (or ever), but are they good enough?
The
trouble with thinking that your reasons are good or that you’ve done enough is
that the world keeps moving, the powers that oppose God keep working, and
eventually… not stopping for someone, not speaking up, not heeding the Spirit’s
urging… leads to standing in a courtyard with a crowd who are yelling, “Crucify
him! Crucify him!” We wonder, “How did we get here?” and we tell ourselves it
happened because Jesus came to die.
But
if he didn’t. If his death is the result of people’s actions, when did it start?
It started when people wanted to pinpoint who deserves care, who deserves
neighbor love… and who can be left in the ditch. It starts when people want to
point out who “deserves help” and who made their own bed. It starts when there
is a line drawn between people for any reason- for race, color, creed, habit,
affection, or location.
The
Levite and the priest probably told themselves that they would stop next time. Next time. There’s always a next time. That’s
one of the problems that Lent brings before us. Putting off caring for your
neighbor, speaking up against injustice, making God a priority brings us right
to the foot of the cross. In Lent, there is no next time. There is now.
Now
is the time. Now is when you stop. Now is when you call. Now is when you write.
Now is when you reach out, stand up, speak to, lift high… There are no good reasons not to do so.
The
Lenten reminder that there is no next time is rooted in what we know is coming-
not the death, but the resurrection. This is the season in which we reflect on
what it means to be people whose decisions are not final. We like to think that
the world hinges on what we do. Yet, all of history is in God’s own hands.
“Crucify him” was not the last word, resurrection is. There is no next time
because we are not waiting to receive God’s grace. It has already been poured
out for us and on us. If we have already received, why should we wait to give?
Recognizing
Jesus as the one who saves the world does not wait for Easter. It doesn’t wait
until we have more time, a better physique, or more money. It doesn’t wait
until we are confronted with a clean-cut, sanitary, comfortable moral decision.
Recognizing Jesus as the one who saves and is alive in us and in our neighbor…
happens right now… with people all around us… all kinds of bodies, all kinds of
needs, all kinds of grace.
The
road of the decision to crucify starts when people give small reasons for
ignoring the needs of people in front of them and promise, “Next time.” God
never says, “Next time” to us. Thus, it’s not a response that we should give to
God.
Amen.
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