15th SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME: YEAR C

By Fr. Casmir Odundo

This Sunday’s gospel passage is on the Good Samaritan; one of the most famous parables of Jesus with many interpretations. Of course, the Gospel is ever new. Every time you read and meditate upon it something new comes out.

Of the many interpretations of this passage, the one I like best is that given by the Fathers of the Church particularly St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, St. John Chrysostom and many others. According to St. Augustine, the “man” who fell at the hands of robbers in this case is “Adam” and by extension all of us. Augustine compares the state of this man to what befell our first parents in the Book of Genesis, resulting in Original Sin. This “man” was travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho. According to St. Augustine, Jerusalem which etymologically means “the City of Peace” represents heaven. On the other hand Jericho represents “human mortality.” Thus it depicts how our first parents fell from Grace to sin. The robbers in this case represent according to St. Augustine and St. Ambrose “Angel of night and darkness” and “Devil and his angels” respectively. The fact that the victim was unarmed and helpless shows the effects of sin in our lives. Augustine equates the “stripping” of the victim in this parable to the nakedness of Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis. Sin makes us naked. Sin exposes us. Sin embarrasses us. Due to  original sin, “man was stripped of his immortality and wounded,” comments St. Augustine. In the rite of Baptism, which is the Sacrament that remits Original Sin, the newly baptized is normally  symbolically given a white garment. St. Ambrose equates the garment the man was stripped off to this ritual garment of Baptism. “If we keep the unspotted garments we have put on, we cannot feel the wounds of robbers.” He says.

The priest and the Levite who passed by represents, for many Church Fathers: “The Law and the Prophets” respectively. The Good Samaritan in this case is equated to Christ, Our Lord Himself who comes to save us from our wounds of sin. Like the victim, Jesus too, the Good Samaritan came “down” (incarnation) from Jerusalem “heaven” to Jericho “earth” our situation.  Jesus, the Good Samaritan, sympathizes with our situation and that is why he institutes Sacraments symbolized by wine (Eucharist) and the oil (Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Anointing of the Sick) to save us.  Again, just as the victim was placed on the Beast i.e. donkey of the Samaritan so too, as St. Augustine notes, “is Christ ready to bear our burdens in his flesh.” St. John Chrysostom states that the “The Inn” in this parable represents   the Church, “which receives travelers, who are tired with their journey through the world, and oppressed with the load of sins…In the Inn is contained all rest and health.”  According to St. Ambrose the departure of the Samaritan represents the Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord. The two silver coins paid at the inn, represents according to St. Ambrose the “Price at which our wounds are healed.” According to St. Augustine the two represents the “Two commandments of Love” which Christ left for us ad a heritage. Further St. Augustine notes that the inn keeper in this case represents the “Apostles” and I would add, “even the modern day Apostles” who have to labour and spend more and who will be repaid by Christ, the Good Samaritan, when he comes again, “on the Last Day.”

So how can we live this Gospel Passage? Of course the Gospel according to Luke is the Gospel of Poor, the suffering, the lowly, the oppressed. In short it is the Gospel of Mercy. And that is why Mercy is the category which defines a true neighbour. 

As I was meditating on this passage, I sought to look at in a different angle this time. Not to focus more on the Good Samaritan, nor on the Priest and the Levite nor on the robbers but to focus more on the first character of the story: The Victim. This man, of course, represents all of us. My few years of experience as a priest, has taught me that like this man, many people in the world are hurting. Many people are wounded.

He was travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho. Whatever he was travelling to do we are not told. St. John Chrysostom criticizes him for being too “rash and unwise” as to use a road which he could not escape from robbers. St. Thomas Aquinas adds to the criticism, arguing that in those days people used to travel in groups, so by this man choosing to go it alone and then get attacked, he got a taste of his own medicine.

Sometimes life can lead us to the wrong road: To the road of sin. Sometimes life can also be unfair to us. Sometimes we took can find ourselves in dangerous situations that may lead to cruelty, deceit, blackmail that we do not deserve. The Risky road to Jericho represents the risky road of Life. One doesn’t know just what he or she will encounter.

There are bad people “robbers” in the world. Those who want to wound (either physically or emotionally) hurt, strip (embarrass)  and kill (including destroying others reputation). Sad to say, some of these are “the priests and the Levite,” those who are close to us, those whom we expect to help us. Perhaps, if this was a true story, I would say that the victim suffered so much not from the pains of the physical wounds but from seeing those he relied on, those closest to him respond with such coldness and indifference. Those close to us wound us the most. They are the majority. There are so many people like the ‘priest and Levite’ who are immune to the hurts of others. They are too busy for themselves that they don’t have time for others.

Every cloud has a silver lining. There are also good people too in the world. Those who are willing to  stop and take time to be with us in our weakest and lowest moments. Those who are willing to inconvenience themselves for our sake. Those who are willing to do more and more and more for us! The Samaritan unlike the Levite and the priest was moved with compassion to do MORE than the priest and the Levite. He did not pass by the opposite side but he stopped and went up to the victim. And not only that, he did MORE, he poured oil and wine over the wounds….and did even MORE…he bandaged the wounds….as if that was not enough, he lifted him up on his own animal and did even MORE….he took him up to the inn and cared for him….and again he did even MORE…he paid the bill….and gave the inn keeper specific instructions that in case he spends MORE than what he gave him…he would come back and pay him MORE on his way back….

Sometimes help comes from unexpected sources! Experience has taught me that not everybody wills and means well. The Key to a happy life is to identify the Good Samaritans in our life. To identify the true friends who can come to our rescue when we are in need. Lets pick our friends wisely, they may be those far from us by birth, social status, tribe, and other such categories but nearer in compassion.

The author is Parochial Vicar: St. Veronica Keringet Parish, Diocese of Nakuru.