January 19, 2014 · Luke 10:33–35

The Spirituality of Neighbouring

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper.

“He thinks, if that man's dead, and I touch him, I am unclean; I can't go to the temple. He thinks, if that man is a sinner, and I touch him, I am unclean, and I can't go to the temple and do my job. If that man is a Samaritan, or a foreigner — if I touch him, I am unclean, and I cannot perform the tasks in the holy temple of God. And so, for all his reasons, he leaves the man to die. "So too a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side." (Luke 10:32) Next we have a Levite, who is actually a lesser member of the temple, who's doing more menial tasks. The Levite comes by, and he also leaves the man to die. Why? Perhaps he's afraid. … So the Levite leaves right away. "But a Samaritan." Those three words — "but a Samaritan" — the whole room would have been like this. Why? Because they understood what was happening. There was this storytelling rule that the Jewish culture had at that time. It was called the rule of three, and you'd often tell your stories in threes like that. It's kind of like — a priest and a Levite and an ordinary Jew went into a bar. That's what they're used to. And so the last person is kind of the hero of the story.”