Excerpt from Luke 10:25-37

"Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?"

Reflection by Martin B. Copenhaver

One summer, when I was a youth minister for a small church in rural Connecticut, one of my responsibilities was to work with the children and youth while their parents were in worship.

I was armed only with an idea:  Each week we would act out a different parable. One week we gave the parable of the Good Samaritan a decidedly modern twist. I parked my car on the shoulder of the road to give the impression it was disabled. (That was not particularly difficult, given the condition of the car.)

Most of the youth were hiding behind bushes in a nearby field, clutching flowers and cards that said, "Thank you. You are a Good Samaritan," waiting to shower these gifts of appreciation upon the good souls who stopped.

I kept two children with me by the car. I chose these two because, although most children are accomplished at turning on a pathetic look at a moment's notice, these two clearly were masters.

Car after car passed without stopping. Everyone was getting restless. I began to wonder how I could salvage some lesson in this unexpected turn of events.

Finally, when worship was almost over, a station wagon pulled over. A woman I did not recognize got out of the car and exclaimed, "Tim!  What's going on?"  One of the youth beside me replied, "Mom!" It seems she had just finished her shopping and was heading back to the church to pick up her son from church school.

Tim hugged his mother. Multitudes appeared from the bushes with exultant cheers and gave her every bouquet and a stack of cards.

I did not have the heart to tell them that what happened that morning was precisely not what the parable of the Good Samaritan is about. It is not about coming to the aid of those we know.

In Jesus' day, Samaritans and Jews did not have any dealings with one another. Among all those who saw the injured Jew, the Samaritan had the best reason of all to say, "What has that to do with me?"  But this Samaritan did not see a stranger or an enemy. This Samaritan saw another child of God, a neighbor. That is what makes the Samaritan's charity so remarkable.

Prayer

God, give me a generosity of heart that does not ask, "What has that to do with me?"

About the Author Martin B. Copenhaver is Senior Pastor, Wellesley Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Wellesley, Massachusetts. He is the author, with Lillian Daniel, of This Odd and Wondrous Calling: the Public and Private Lives of Two Ministers.