The Jesus parable we hear this weekend as our Gospel is, probably, one of the most famous of all the Lord’s parables. Luke presents the Good Samaritan parable as a way of presenting ideas about discipleship. He has a lawyer ask Jesus how salvation is to be achieved. Jesus’ answer indicates what should be the conduct of the real disciple. It is the conduct of the wise, the prudent and the little ones, not just of those learned in the Law.

Luke sets the stage for the parable by having a lawyer put this question to Jesus: Teacher, what must I do to inherit everlasting life? In response to this question Jesus asks the lawyer: What is written in the law? The lawyer responds with this: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. When Jesus acknowledges that the lawyer has responded correctly, the lawyer quickly adds the all-important question: Who is my neighbor? Jesus answers his question with a parable that involves an extreme example.

In the parable Jesus compares the failure of two religious leaders, a priest and a Levite, with the unselfishness of a Samaritan. Samaritans were hated by Jews because they didn’t embrace the same type of religion. Jesus had the two religious leaders pass by the hurt man to indicate that a strict adherence to the Law can result in a lack of compassion. Jesus didn’t proffer any reason why they didn’t help the hurt man. What is suggested is that they were afraid to touch him because, if he was dead, they would become ritually unclean. Adherence to the Law.

The one who possessed the secret of eternal life in the parable turns out be a Samaritan who does not have the lawyer’s learning, concern for ritual purity, or the status of a religious leader.

It is obvious that Jesus used this extreme example so that those listening could measure the unlimited nature of the duty to love all others and realize that adherence to the Law should never be put before compassion for others.

I think this parable can have great meaning for us today. Rampant in our society are the thoughts and words of strict Christians who allow their idea of what their religion says to curb their compassion for others. It seems we humans easily forget that acceptance, kindness and understanding are a great part of the Jesus message!