One of many people’s favorite Bible stories is the parable Jesus told of the Good Samaritan, about a man from another country who took time to help a person who had been robbed, beaten and left by the side of the road. The good Samaritan not only bound the man’s wounds and gave him water, but took him to the nearest town and asked the innkeeper to care for him, with a promise to return and repay him for his efforts. This story was important in its time because Samaritans and Jews generally despised one another, and yet Jesus uses this story as an example of being a neighbor.
There are many Biblical references to God’s desire that we care for one another. In the Letter of James, the writer says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for widows and orphans in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (James 1:27) In the Lutheran Study Bible, this passage is referenced to Jesus’ command “to love your neighbor as yourself.” And again in Matthew 7:12: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” If you really think about these words, Jesus presupposes that we already love ourselves; that we first must care about ourselves in order to reach out to others in a loving way. So much of Jesus’ ministry involved caring for others in practical, down to earth ways, caring for their physical well-being: feeding and healing.
Love is not just an emotion but an active verb. In love, God created the world. In love, God provides His people with sustenance. In love, God offered His Son as an example of what love is and what love does. It may be difficult to feel love for an individual or a group of people, but God still expects us to act lovingly or respectfully. God’s love is all inclusive.
March is Social Work month and as a retired social worker, I think of the Good Samaritan as perhaps one of the earliest social workers. In my work, I saw my calling as a way to live out my understanding of Christianity.
In our church library we have a children’s book entitled, “Owen and Mzee: The Language of Friendship.” It is the true story of how, after a tsunami in 2004, a baby hippopotamus was rescued from a sandbar and taken to an animal refuge in Kenya, because he had been orphaned. He was named Owen in honor of the man who rescued him (his good Samaritan). The first animal Owen saw when he was released was a 130-year-old tortoise named Mzee. Owen “attached” himself to Mzee and the two became close friends, even to the point of developing their own language. (note to self: never too old to be a good friend) Two entirely different species not only living side by side but developing an ability to communicate and understand each other. The story of Owen and Mzee illustrates a modern day example of Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan. Check it out!
“The glory of friendship is found in the inspiration that comes when I discover that someone else believes in me & is willing to trust me with their friendship.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Nan Schroeder