Readings for Proper 10C:
Luke 10:25-37
July 15, 2007
The Rev. Karen Faye Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino, CA
“You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself ...; Do this and you will live.” [Luke 10]
On June 26th, in London England, a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death outside the home of Jessica, the daughter of a woman touched by grace. Outside the window of her second story flat, Jessica saw the boy running with 20 or so others in hot pursuit. She threw open the window and shouted for them to leave the boy alone and then screamed at her husband to call the police. She then ran downstairs and out the front door to respond to the crisis. But by the time she got there, the deed was done. The boy was dead, lying in a pool of blood. She does not remember any of their faces, but the murderers got a very good look at her and they know where she lives. Jessica has been traumatized by the incident and cannot leave the flat without a police escort. She is on “red alert” with the precinct in case there are any repercussions.
What was it that motivated Jessica to risk her life in order to save an unknown boy who was running through her neighborhood? In Christian terms, we call this neighborly love. Neighborly love requires a lot more than simply bringing over cookies to the family who just moved in, or picking up the newspapers for a neighbor who has gone on vacation. Neighborly love is a kind of love that is often costly, inconvenient, uncomfortable, and merciful. This is the subject of today’s sermon and I will use the gospel story as my text.
The story of the Good Samaritan is a familiar one. It is the story about three different people seeing a man who had been beaten and stripped, lying in a ditch. Only the Samaritan responded, while the priest and the Levite passed by. Whenever we hear a story about people refusing to help those in desperate need, we become uneasy, disappointed, and sometimes appalled. There was a recent news article about a woman who had fallen on the floor of a 7-11 store, bleeding and in need of medical help. The security camera caught three people on video stepping over the woman in order to exit the store. None of them called the police or stopped to help her, although the third person did take a picture with her cell phone before leaving the store. How could they ignore the needs of this bleeding woman? How could the priest and the Levite in today’s story pass by the bleeding man in the ditch?
Neighborly love is often costly. Sometimes this means that we must put our life or health at risk in order to help. Other times it means that we must part with a significant amount of money to address the need. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was notoriously dangerous. It was 17 miles long and ran through narrow passes, offering easy hiding places for bandits who frequently terrorized travelers. The unfortunate man had been stripped, beaten, and left for dead. Anyone who stopped to help, took the risk of being attacked. Perhaps the priest and Levite were on a very important mission. Concluding that the man in the ditch was probably already dead, they decided to be prudent and safe, moving along quickly before they became the next victim. The Samaritan who did stop to help was also in great danger. Not only did he risk his own life, but it cost him several days of wages to place the injured man in a hotel where he could recover from his wounds. Was the Samaritan afraid for his own life while bandaging and transporting the injured man? I think he probably was. I can imagine his heart beating quickly, adrenalin flowing freely, trying to work against the clock to save a man from dying. The cost of discipleship is often great. And yet loving with our heart, soul, strength, and mind is an integral part of our life in Christ.
How could the priest and the Levite in today’s story pass by the bleeding man in the ditch?
Neighborly love is often inconvenient. One of the reasons many people hold back from acts of kindness and mercy is because they are just too busy. Life sometimes feels like a treadmill; trying to balance work, family, obligations, and personal health. The majority of working people are sleep deprived while others are struggling with the burdens of everyday life. Oftentimes, the request to respond comes at a time when we are totally on overload. We question whether or not we can add one more request to our plate. In 1st century Palestine, a priest or a Levite had the duty to bury a corpse lying on the ground if no one else was around. Not only would this make him ritually unclean and unable to serve at the temple, but it would also take a great deal of time to dig a hole, drag the body over to the hole, and complete the burial. Who in the midst of a busy schedule has time to be a volunteer gravedigger when there are so many demands on our time?
How could the priest and the Levite in today’s story pass by the bleeding man in the ditch?
Neighborly love is often uncomfortable, especially when it includes those who are different from us. When I first moved into the rectory, I knocked on my neighbors’ doors to introduce myself. There were no cookies offered, no enthusiastic greetings, no offer of help; only fearful individuals from other cultures peering out from behind locked doors, hoping that I would soon leave. It took me awhile to warm up to these folks whose culture, habits, and prejudices are different from mine. And yet when I took the time to get to know them, I found out they were people like me, searching for love, struggling with problems, and seeking a meaningful life. Since that time, we have become true neighbors, helping one another in times of need.
Samaritans were descendents of a mixed population who occupied the land of Israel following the conquest of the Assyrians some 700 years before the birth of Jesus. They opposed the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem and had their own place of worship. The Jews considered them unclean, unfaithful, and unapproachable. And yet it was a Samaritan who showed mercy to the Israelite who was dying in the ditch. To have a Samaritan (rather than a priest or Levite) as the one who proved to be a neighbor must have shocked the lawyer and the crowds who listen to Jesus speak. This shattered their neatly formed categories of “who is in” and “who is out” in the eyes of God. Neighborly love protests against the discriminating rules and boundaries set by the culture. Neighborly love requires us to expand the circle of love; a circle where there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female ...; For all of us are one in Christ Jesus.
How could the priest and the Levite in today’s story pass by the bleeding man in the ditch? Neighborly love is merciful. In today’s gospel, the definition of a true neighbor is one who shows mercy. The priest and the Levite who passed by were probably good and upstanding citizens. They were hard working, had much wisdom and understanding, but were lacking the attitude of mercy. So caught up in their own lives and responsibilities, they failed to take the time to respond to human need.
Mercy is the attitude God requires of us. It is more than forgiving a person who has wronged us. In the New Testament, mercy denoted the kindness owed in relationships. It brings together generosity, grace, love, and empathy. Thus to have mercy means to render aid when confronted with human need. Without this attitude of mercy, it is easier to ignore the cry of the poor, the pain of the suffering, and the anguish of those on the margins.
Here in Silicon Valley, it is very hard to follow the command to love one’s neighbor. We live in an environment that does not support the radical demands of the gospel. Instead, competition, narcissism, and materialism are held out as the way life should be. Body image is valued more than a pure heart. In this kind of an environment, it becomes easier to believe that the universe revolves only around our needs and desires. But then, today’s gospel comes crashing into our consciousness, calling us to choose a different direction. This Word of God reminds us of the abundance of love and mercy that each one of us has to offer others in order to make this world a better place in which to live.
What must we do in order to experience life with God (i.e. inherit eternal life)? In God’s kingdom, people are to act in love, love that has no boundaries, and love that expects nothing in return. Do this, and you will live!
| Updated July 16, 2007 |
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