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Trinity Episcopal Church Hattiesburg, Mississippi Seventh Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 10) July 15, 2007 Go To Trinity's Home Page

Amos 7:7-17
Psalm 82
Colossians 1:1-14
Luke 10:25-37
Collect of the Day
From the Revised Common Lectionary as Adapted for Use by the Episcopal Church and Authorized by the 75 th General Convention of the ECUSA

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “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.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:25-37)

Can You Be a Good Innkeeper?
The Rev. Dr. Bill Stroop

     The Gospel story we have just heard is among the most well known from the Bible. It is so well known, in fact, that institutions carry the “Good Samaritan” name hoping that the general public will associate the helpfulness and hospitality of the Biblical Good Samaritan with the institution. In a quick check of the internet, I found the words “Good Samaritan” in the title of a nursing home, a homeless shelter, a ginormous number of hospitals and a humongous group of medical practices, many churches and ministry organizations, one beach resort, and even a coffee house. The story is so well known that it makes preaching on it all that much harder. What can I say that will be fresh?

     Let me begin by looking at the Gospel tradition and this story. There are actually two parts to the story we just heard. In the first, a man described as a lawyer asks Jesus “What do I have to do to inherit eternal life?” and Jesus answers him with a question. The man answers with the Shema from Deuteronomy, and Jesus gives him an “A.” But then Jesus tells the man to do what he has just professed: To Love God with all that he is, and love his neighbor as himself. Next, like Candice Bergen from Boston Legal, the lawyer asks for a point of clarification. He asks Jesus to define ‘neighbor.’

     The Jesus Seminar, that group of scholars who has assessed the Gospel narratives for signs of authenticity of the actual sayings and actions of Jesus, notes that this part of the Gospel reading was taken from Mark and used by Luke. That is indeed true. This same story appears in Matthew and Mark in which Pharisees and Scribes appear instead of the lawyer.

     The second part of the Gospel reading is the parable that Jesus tells the lawyer in answer to the lawyer’s second question, “Just who is my neighbor.” The Jesus seminar believes this parable (at least through the 35 th verse) is one of the very rare, authentic stories likely told by Jesus himself.

     Let’s now take a closer look at this parable. First, let’s look at the scene. Jesus tells us that the man who is beaten up was traveling the road from Jericho to Jerusalem. Jericho is about 10 miles north of the Dead Sea and is at the same altitude as the Dead Sea: 1300 feet below sea level. Jerusalem lies about 20 miles southwest of Jericho on the western slopes Israel’s highlands. It is 2300 feet above sea level. The road between these two cities changes 3600 feet in altitude over a distance of only 20 miles. It is a twisting road that wanders among rock outcroppings which were perfect hiding places for robbers. Even as late as the 5 th century C.E., the road was known as “The Red” or “The Bloody Way” because of the number of robberies. The road was considered dangerous to travel in the 19t h century, and even after the advent of the car, the road was still plagued by bandits as late as the 1930’s.

     Let’s look at the characters. First there was the Judean traveler. He is a nameless Jew, traveling on the road alone, making himself an easy target for robbers. Then there was the priest, who didn’t stop probably because the priest thought the man was dead. As a priest, he knew that if he touched a dead man, he would be ritually unclean for a week (Num 19:11). Then there was the Levite, who in addition to worrying about those purity laws, may not have stopped because he feared a trap. The robbers would often put out a decoy to lure someone to stop, and then ambush the helper. Then there was the Samaritan who rendered aid. Notice in the story that the priest and the Levite both crossed to the other side of the path, going out of their way to avoid helping the man, whereas the Samaritan was moved with pity and went directly to him.

     The most common way this story is interpreted is that the Samaritan was the one to give aid to a Judean, instead of the other two Jews who passed by. This would have shocked the people of Jesus’ day because the Jews despised Samaritans. To the Jews, Samaritans were worse than Gentiles or other outsiders because they had turned their backs on mainstream Judaism. One might even say they were schismatic. Yet it was one of these schismatic Samaritans who rendered assistance. His willingness to help gives the story more zing. In today’s world we might people this story with Hamas and Israelis and call it the Good Hamas. Or perhaps we could use Republicans and Democrats, and call it the Good Democrat.

     But, I promised you something fresh. There are two other approaches I would like to consider.

     The first approach involves the fourth character in the story: the inn keeper. He is not just a colorful bit player; he has a message for us. The inn keeper was asked by the Samaritan to take care of the man, and was paid two denarii to provide hospitality and protection to the man. Because a denarius was the wage for a days work, two denarii would at most last for two days. Realistically given room and board, plus compensation for attention to the man’s injuries, two denarii would not keep the visitor long. The inn keeper, however, trusted the Samaritan to return and settle the bill at some unspecified time in the future, regardless of the amount. The inn keeper gave the Samaritan his trust. Trust is an important ingredient in the relationship we have with our neighbors and one another. The inn keeper trusted the Samaritan to return and the Samaritan trusted the inn keeper to take care of the Judean, and to make him welcome in the inn.

     The second approach deals with the last line of the reading which contains the message that applies to us today, and makes this story as timeless as the Lord’s Prayer. The parable ends with Jesus telling the lawyer to “Go and do likewise.” In other words, “Go and be a good neighbor. Go! Just do it.” “Neighbor” is defined here from the Godly perspective. God expects us to look beyond ourselves, our intimate circle of friends, our culture, our gender, and even our race, and to embrace all of humanity as our neighbor, and to be hospitable to all people. That’s why Jesus used a Samaritan and a Judean in the parable. By using people who were at such extremes from each other, Jesus makes it plain that we are each individually responsible for our community of peoples –especially those we do not consider in our close circle.

     Most importantly, Jesus wants us to realize that we need to stop thinking of ‘us’ as “us” and the less fortunate, or the ‘others’ in our community as “them.” Jesus wants us to simply regard all people as children of God, and to be merciful with one another. That’s why he told the lawyer to just do it. “Don’t think about it man. Jesus might have said, “Don’t just strut about like the Pharisees who seek honor and attention for their good works! Just do it, and do it with mercy.”

     What does “mercy” mean here? It means to do more than what is required by justice or law or convention. We are to do more than what we feel we are contracted to do. Just like the inn keeper who was asked to give more than two denarii worth of care to the man, we are asked to offer ourselves to our guests and care for them in ways that exceed what society might normally expect.

     Next week we will have an “Invite a Friend” Sunday. This is not just about bringing people into church to show off or to hand them a pledge card and hope that they stay (and pay). No, this is about offering ourselves to the people of this community and showing them what richness and joy we find in our liturgy and in our company. And we will hear from Marian Dickson whose enthusiasm for her mission work to Ecuador exemplifies a ministry of outreach hospitality.

     Trinity is our inn. The people out there – and in here – are our people. Let us be hospitable to all of them in the manner of the Good Samaritan, and the Good Inn Keeper.

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Amos 7:7-17

This is what the Lord God showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the LORD said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by; the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.” Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the very center of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said, ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.’” And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.” Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ “Now therefore hear the word of the LORD. You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not preach against the house of Isaac.’ Therefore thus says the LORD: ‘Your wife shall become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be parceled out by line; you yourself shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.’”

Psalm 82 Deus stetit

1 God takes his stand in the council of heaven; *
he gives judgment in the midst of the gods:

2 “How long will you judge unjustly, *
and show favor to the wicked?

3 Save the weak and the orphan; *
defend the humble and needy;

4 Rescue the weak and the poor; *
deliver them from the power of the wicked.

5 They do not know, neither do they understand;
they go about in darkness; *
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

6 Now I say to you, ‘You are gods, *
and all of you children of the Most High;

7 Nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, *
and fall like any prince.’”

8 Arise, O God, and rule the earth, *
for you shall take all nations for your own.

Colossians 1:1-14

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit. For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Luke 10:25-37

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “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.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Collect of the Day

O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Copyright © 2007, William G. Stroop - All Rights Reserved.
12 July 2007

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