However the law of the Torah is pretty clear about helping those in need, both
man and beast, friend and foe -- even if he is your enemy! It says:
"If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off,
be sure to take it back to him. If you see the donkey of
someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave
it there; be sure you help him with it." -Exodus-
"Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not
let your heart rejoice or the Lord will see and disapprove and
turn his wrath away from him." -Proverbs-
"If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
If he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on
his head, and the Lord will reward you. (Proverbs)
Of course the very verse the lawyer quoted for Jesus makes the priest's
and the Levite's obligations clear. "Love your neighbour as yourself.
I am the Lord." (Leviticus)
Placing religious purity over helping a person who may have been still alivewas gross hard-heartedness and selfishness. And walking on the otherside of the road displays a deliberate "I don't want to know!" attitude.
The less they saw about the man's condition, the less they would feel
obligated to help him. Today the equivalent attitude is "I don't wantto get involved."
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Samaria was a region of central Palestine which was once the capital of Israel.
In 721 B.C. it was captured by the Assyrians who deported most of the
population and replaced them with foreign colonists. These colonists were pagans
who eventually intermarried with the remaining Jews. They adopted the religion
of Israel but also continued to worship their pagan idols. The Jews considered
the Samaritans to be religious heretics of a foreign nationality and an inferior race. The Samaritans offered to help rebuild the Jewish temple, but their offer was rudely rebuffed. Finally the Samaritans built a rival temple on Mount Gerizim and announced that it, rather than the Jewish temple was the true house of
God.
By the time of Jesus the Jews and Samaritans had hated each other for hundreds
of years. There was no Jewish expert in the law who would have considered a Samaritan to be a good neighbour of a Jew. If a Samaritan could be a 'neighbour' to
the Jewish man who was robbed and beaten, then a "neighbour" would have to include ALL people, regardless of what race, religion or nationality they were, or any other artificial distinction.
What Baha'u'llah teaches is an extension of this root. He gives much more
guidance for this to happen on a world basis.
The Samaritan man gave freely of his time and money to help a Jewish man who wasnot only a stranger, but also was of a different religion, a foreigner and an
enemy of his people. In his Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus challenges us
to "Go and do likewise" through his instruction to the lawyer. We don't need to
agree with other people's beliefs and opinions or condone their actions, but Jesus calls us to overcome prejudices and show our kindness to all people of the world and consider them our "neighbours."
The parable describes the 3-level social map of Israel. Several people are on ajourney to Jericho. One of them is beaten up. A priest and a Levite on the
same journey pass by the wounded man without helping him at all. A layperson would be the third level in the Israelite social structure. This three level structure was very familiar to people who lived in that area at that time. (Three levels: priests, Levites, laypeople.)
It is necessary to the parable to understand that Samaritans were considered
mortal enemies of the Jewish nation. They were called apostates, which means those who had turned away, after having once been Jews. For the Jewish people listening it would be hard to choose a clearer image of moral corruption than that Samaritan.
Jesus' listeners probably thought the Samaritan would finish the job of the
robbers by killing the injured Jew. Instead, he showed all mercy. This story undermined strong social convictions common among Jesus' hearers.
The message is clear: whoever you think is your enemy may be your greatest friend. It also undermines easy assumptions we all have regarding what is good and
what is evil. The good guys in this parable turn out to be the bad guys, and the bad guy turns out to be the good guy.
This is a test for the listeners, and some of them no doubt decided that it was
an unbelievable story and just wrote it off. What the parable does is emphasizethat there are no barriers to the Kingdom of heaven. Humans set up barriers,
not God. God is the Father of everyone. There are no special people and no
chosen ones. Behaviour is what determines who is nearer and who is further away.
This idea of God was revolutionary at that time. God was then seen as the defender of Israel, as the God of armies, and as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
and the Jewish people. The one who spoke to Abraham on Mount Sinai and was very mysterious. Through Jesus' parable came a view of God as the Father of everyone, with no elites, no special people. It has more to do with how you live than
what you are.
What we need to do in life is what is at hand, and what we can easily do. That
is to help to care for those people who have emotional, physical and spiritual
need. Showing kindness, reaching out to those in trouble, and holding the hand
of those in sorrow helps to bring God's love that shone through Jesus into the hearts of people who listened and lived as the parable taught. The heavenly kingdom thus comes to this "earth, as it is in heaven."
This loving service to our fellows is a humble, hidden, but persevering love
that doesn't only consist in sentiment, but is manifested in action through showing love to those who need it in the circumstances of daily life. For instance
, to reconcile with members of our family, forgive our enemies, practice various
works of mercy is to be done out of our love for God, and anyone can
do it.
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