Passing By On The Other Side

The Alpena News + March 12, 2005

The lawyer knows the commandment, and quotes it to Jesus: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” So far, so good. But then, wanting to limit his obligation to love, he asks, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus replies with the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:30-37), which completely frustrates the lawyer’s attempt to minimize his responsibility. The neighbor, it turns out, is to be the lawyer himself. He is to go and do as the Samaritan did – that is, he is to “show mercy.” To whom? To anyone who needs it!

America acted as a good neighbor to countless victims of the December 26 Indian Ocean tsunami, emulating the Samaritan in treating wounds, helping with transportation, and providing money. The government and citizens alike proved merciful to people it would have been easy to pass by, since they were not just on the other side of the road, but on the other side of the world. Perhaps it was because television made their plight so visible. Perhaps it was because they seemed to be genuine victims, who in no way deserved what they got.

But, “just deserts” is no more an issue than locality when it comes to being neighborly. Sure, the matter might arise when it comes to helping victims evaluate whether their suffering might be self-incurred. Sure, we don’t want to be enablers. But these considerations are to come later (if at all). Meanwhile, the Good Samaritan helps the man who fell into the hands of robbers without any thought of limiting his obligation to love. He doesn’t consider the man stupid for being on the notoriously dangerous road to Jericho, nor does he discount the man as a Jew. Instead, the Samaritan is “moved with pity.” He immediately translates his love into tangible acts of mercy, giving aid and comfort to one of his people’s historic enemies. There is no possible justification for passing by on the other side, as the priest and Levite do. At least, this is how Jesus tells it.

Of course, the priest and the Levite might be anyone of us, in terms of our frequent failure to show mercy. Or, though they had no contractual responsibility for pastoral care, they might be modern-day clergy, in terms of their roles in worship and teaching. But there’s something about the Levite in particular that leads me to identify another or more of our contemporaries as one of Jesus’ villains – namely, that Levites had been incorporated into the administration of government as overseers of the royal treasury. (Cf. 1 Chr 9:26) Whether this particular Levite had that role, we can’t be sure. But the possibility might lead us to think of those responsible for our national budget – our President, his advisors, and Congress. 

Is showing mercy any less an obligation in the White House and Capitol than it is on a roadside? Not by Jesus’ standards. Are countless citizens who are in need any less our neighbors than the man who fell in among robbers? Not by Jesus’ standards. Judging by Jesus’ response to the lawyer who wanted to limit his love, no amount of legal maneuvering will excuse our leaders – or us – from showing mercy wherever mercy is needed. 

When one looks at the Administration’s proposed budget for 2006 in terms of the Parable of the Good Samaritan, one might be more inclined to think of the robbers than of the Levite. It is unquestionably “reverse Robin Hood,” taking from the poor to give to the rich. Federal tax cuts in 2001, 2002, and 2003 have fueled massive deficits and crippled possibilities for spending on human needs. These tax cuts have in turn gravely hurt state and local budgets, forcing deep cuts in spending on poverty, health care, and education. Localities have lain off teachers, firefighters, police officers, and social workers, closed libraries and health clinics, and cut childcare and mental health services. As a board-member of Shelter, Inc., which “shows mercy” to victims of domestic violence, I know first-hand that “robbers” are beating up not only relatively helpless victims, but also the wannabe Good Samaritans who would help them.

How long will we pass by on the other side?