In the story of the Good Samaritan, he sees the need of the man beat up and left alongside of the road. Not only does he see the need, but he also sees the man as a human being. This man has value simply because he exists. The Good Samaritan is not asking of the worldly value of the man. Put yourself in the Samaritan’s shoes. In our modern world maybe that man in need is a well-known criminal. What if that person laying there was the leader of the political party that you feel is ruining the nation? There might be some indication that the man laying there is a notorious sinner who has opposed everything that you have ever said and done? There is a story in the life of Mother Theresa. She was putting up a home for the dying in India. The building she had bought and had converted had been a Hindu temple. Many of the Hindu population in the world was deeply offended by the sale, purchase and the use of the building. One of the protestors was very vocal and even threatened the nun. Despite the protests the home served their community by allowing men and women care and allowed them to die with dignity. Many years later during a visit by Mother Theresa she noticed the man being served by her followers. She rejoiced over the opportunity to serve Jesus in the dreadful disguise of her past enemy. We need to react the same way. These men and women in poverty have great value. You are not better because you have a job, a house or even a family. You are not better because of your heritage, race or religion. When we see these men and women that are hurting it is part of our role to notice them as people in need.
Seeing them as human beings also requires us to see them as having skills and abilities that can benefit our community. Yes, in the beginning the man beat up and left alongside the road is in what some refer to as a “relief” situation. These are people like those after a storm, house fire or a very real emergency. In the crisis the action of the Samaritan is totally correct. The person in a medical emergency needs our compassion first while they are on the mend. That is the face of compassion in a crisis. The face of compassion for an able bodies person is to discover their abilities and allow them to work in our community using that skillset.
After seeing the man, the Samaritan felt empathy. He considered what he would want for himself if the roles were reversed. Would I want someone, even someone that I consider to be an outcast to help me if I was in need? Most likely I would. Early in my marriage my wife and I were driving to visit a church in a rural community. On our way there we had a tire blow out. That is when we discovered that the car had no jack. The spare tire was kind of useless. Fortunately, a young lady came along and stopped to help us. She stopped and let us borrow a jack. The next time that you see someone having car troubles consider what you would want done.
