PROPER 10, YEAR C

July 13, 2025

Saints Matthew & Mark, Barrington, R.I.

 

Luke 10:25-37

 

At the beginning of today’s Gospel, a lawyer asks Jesus: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” It’s a pressing question. Suppose we are open to the possibility of an afterlife, without assuming it’s automatic. In that case, the question becomes even more significant for each of us: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

 

Once again, the person asking the question is a lawyer. In the world of the New Testament, that term had a slightly different meaning than it does today. A lawyer was a religious official knowledgeable in the Jewish Law, the Torah. Instead of answering directly, however, Jesus responds with a question of his own. And no question could be more fitting for a lawyer: “What is written in the Law? What do you read there?”

 

The lawyer responds by reciting the verses: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus commends the lawyer: “You have given the right answer. Do this, and you will live.”

 

The exchange could easily end there. But the lawyer wants more: “to justify himself.” Consider what this means. He could admit the difficulty of fulfilling the commandment he just recited: Who’s capable of loving God and neighbor so fully? Who can be saved? But instead, he seeks the affirmation that he’s truly entitled to eternal life. To achieve that, however, he must restrict and limit his obligations to his fellow human beings. So, in classic lawyerly fashion, he draws a legal distinction: “And who is my neighbor?”

 

Instead of answering the question directly, our Lord responds by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan. A traveler is going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. Jerusalem is situated high up in the Judean hills; Jericho is located far below in the Jordan Valley. Descending from an elevation of 2,500 feet above sea level to 800 feet below sea level over eighteen miles, the Roman road from Jerusalem to Jericho was winding and treacherous, with many good hiding spots for bandits to ambush lone travelers. And sure enough, robbers attack the man, strip him, beat him, and leave him half dead by the roadside.

A priest walking down the road sees the man lying there and quickly walks past on the other side. Now, let’s consider the lawyer’s reactions as Jesus tells the story. Most likely, this priest has just finished his shift at the Temple in Jerusalem. His response is not entirely surprising. He may fear that he will also be attacked if he lingers in this isolated spot. Additionally, any contact with a dead body, even with blood, would make him ceremonially unclean, requiring lengthy purification rituals before he could serve as a priest again. So, while not excusable, it’s understandable that he chooses to ignore him and hurries on. And the lawyer might be thinking, “Well, of course, what do you expect from a priest?”

 

Next, a Levite comes along. Levites are also functionaries in the Temple, serving as sort of assistant priests. A bit like deacons. So, for the same kinds of reasons, it’s not surprising that the Levite also passes by on the other side of the road. And again, the lawyer is probably thinking, “Well, what do you expect from a Levite?”

 

So, who do you think the lawyer is expecting to come down the road next? Why, a lawyer, of course! He’ll do the right thing. That would be the perfect ending! So we can imagine the lawyer’s shock and disappointment when the story’s hero turns out not to be a lawyer but a Samaritan, a hated enemy of the Jewish people.

 

Now, remember that the lawyer’s question was, “Who is my neighbor? But at the end of the story, Jesus rephrases and reframes the question. He doesn’t ask, “Who was the Good Samaritan’s neighbor?” but rather, “Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”

 

Simply put, Jesus is telling the lawyer: You’re not among those passing by who could help.  You’re the one lying half dead in the ditch. You’re the one who needs help.” So, to return to the lawyer’s original question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The answer is, “You can’t do anything to inherit eternal life. You can only receive it as a gift from God having mercy on you, just as the Good Samaritan had mercy on the fallen traveler.”

 

The lawyer aimed to justify himself, but Jesus’s point is that self-justification is impossible; we can't earn salvation through our own efforts. Instead, like wounded travelers, we need help—represented by the Good Samaritan, who symbolizes Jesus: rejected yet compassionate, tending our wounds and bringing us to safety.

 

The early Church Fathers developed a fascinating allegorical interpretation of the parable. The traveler falling among robbers symbolizes the Fall of Adam. The priest and the Levite passing by on the other side of the road represent the failure of the old religions to save fallen humanity. The Good Samaritan coming near represents Jesus coming down from heaven; the animal on which he places the traveler to carry him symbolizes the human body in which Jesus bears the burdens of our sins.

 

Finally, the inn where the Good Samaritan takes the wounded traveler is the Church. Notice that the Samaritan gives the innkeeper a substantial sum of money and tells him, “Take care of him, and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” The Church is thus the inn where Jesus provides for us to be fed, nurtured, and cared for until He returns at the end of time.

 

We often think of the Church as the place where we reach out with compassion to those in need. And yes, so it is, and so it should be. However, this parable teaches us that the Church is first and foremost the place where we receive the forgiveness, healing, and care we need. Only when we admit our desperation and helplessness can we see Jesus as the Good Samaritan who comes to help us and save us. And only then can we even begin to fulfill his command to “go and do likewise.”