Sticks and Stones

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, 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, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’” (Luke 10:27-35 ESV)

As Christians, we often speak of things God finds sinful. In today’s society, everyone is looking for a reason to be offended and to confront what they perceive as offensive. As such, Christians are often called racists, homophobic, misogynists, and a litany of other labels. Like most labels on foods and medicines, people rarely check to see what Christianity contains.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus teaches us about the profound and unconditional love Christians must have for others. Speaking to a lawyer who is testing Jesus, Jesus tells a parable. In the parable, a man is robbed and beaten; a priest passes him and leaves the beaten man where he lies. A priest, one who should have the love of God in his heart, shows no regard for the man. This was the condition of the Pharisees and Sadducees in Jesus's time.

The next person to pass the beaten man in the parable was a Levite. In the Jewish religion, Priests and Levites were seen as different levels of temple workers. During the Persian Period, priests were connected to the lineage of Aaron and Zadok. Levites, however, were connected to the lineage of Levi. Torah texts show a preference for priests. Conversely, the books of Chronicles elevate the Levites. Jesus was yet again citing the depravity of the Jewish religion and culture. The Levites' lack of caring testified to the evilness of the Israelite culture.

Lastly, a Samaritan came across the beaten man. In this story, we must understand a few things about Jesus’s character choice. Samaritans were a remnant from the exile to Babylon. They were what the Jews called “Half-Breeds.” The Samaritans were Jews who remained in Babylon after the return to Jerusalem. The Samaritans intermarried with Gentiles, and the Jews hated them. Jews hated Samaritans so much that when traveling from Judea to Galilee, they would go miles out of their way to avoid traveling through Samaria. The woman at the well of Jacob talks of this hatred with Jesus (John 4).

In this parable, the Samaritan stops to care for the beaten man. Stopping his journey, Jesus tells us the Samaritan had an overwhelming compassion for the man. The Samaritan did not care who the man was; the beaten man was a person who needed help. The Samaritan provided first aid to the man, cleaning and bandaging his wounds. The Samaritan placed the man on his animal, probably a mule or donkey, and took him to an inn. Here, the Samaritan not only brought the man to a place of rest but also paid for his care. From Jesus’s parable, we see the love of God in this Samaritan's heart.

This parable is a powerful reminder of the Christian principle of unconditional love. As Jesus himself taught, the greatest commandments are to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind and to love others as we love ourselves. This is the essence of Christianity. Christians are not called to be racists, and the majority are not. It is a label erroneously placed upon a people by those who do not understand the true teachings of Christ.

Having evangelized for some time now, one of the most important lessons I have learned from my elder brothers is that when we are rejected, it is not us who are rejected but Christ who is being rejected. We know from Jesus that as Christ's followers, we will be persecuted. When the enemy attacks us, rejoice; the evil one only attacks those who threaten him. This knowledge should strengthen our resolve and faith.

Rip up the label; you are a child of God, and no one can take that from you. Sticks and stones may break some bones, but names will never hurt you in the eyes of God.

Grace and Peace!