The story of the good Samaritan generally gets focused on the punch line of who counts as a neighbor.
But a better question in many ways is how should we act if we find ourselves Samaritans.
25 ¶And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
That is the story.
But think, what did it mean to be a Samaritan?
They were considered racially inferior half-breeds (a term I haven’t heard in ages outside of a Cher concert).
Their doctrines were considered superstition and and apostasy, rolled into one.
Socially they were generally on the bottom, living in a state of virtual apartheid.
And how did the Samaritan in the story react to this type of social construct and bigotry and discrimination?
He was the one who was Christlike and the exemplar in the story. He was the neighbor.
If we found ourselves Samaritans would we rise to the heights in the story or would some other fate befall us? How do we find ourselves and our duty to care in this story and what do you take away from the parable of the Good Samaritan?
Wheat & Tares 
While doing prep to teach this story in a GD class, I was shocked to find in a Jewish commentary the direct parallel with an OT story in 2 Chronicles 28 (see verses 6-15, with special attention to 15). The Jewish audience in Jesus’ time would have recognized the reference, a time when many of the Samarians (Israelites in the Northern Kingdom) showed pity on the people of Judah (Southern Kingdom) after their comrades had taken them prisoner. A group of Samarians, who fully recognized their own sinfulness, understood that this action against their brethren in the House of Israel was just too heinous and returned the captives to Jericho with great compassion and love.
According to the Chronicler, God had allowed the people of Judah to be captured because of their sins. No group of people was innocent in this OT story,. There would have been an implication that the injured traveler, the Levite, and the Priest were all a bit out of compliance with God’s laws, yet the Samaritan seemed to be the only one able to do good in spite of that.
I think far too many people think that the Good Samaritan story is simply about being good to others. Few people understand the bigotry aspect of the story, and it should be emphasized more to help us learn to better “love your enemies.” The Samaritan did love his enemy and helped him. We need to better learn to love our enemies.
I’ve never been able to find a good modern parallel. If you were to tell this story using modern examples, what would it be?
A guy finding an ISIS fighter on the side of the road? Jews and Palestinians? People who like Neil Diamond and people who don’t? Helping Jar Jar Binks? Hatfields and McCoys?
I think it is easy to find a parallel. The Samaritan is anyone looked down upon: Gang members, gays, minorities, drinkers, smokers, fornicators, atheists, politicians, lawyers, garbage men, tobacco chewers are a few ideas…
In a conversation with a friend it came up that an African-American Jehovah’s Witness was a good parallel for our times.
I think that it is important to realize that regardless of how we view ourselves, we are no better than “the least of these, my brethren” and that whenever we find ourselves as outsiders that the response we should have is to minister to those who are in need.
More and more we are strangers in a strange land, outsiders in what we thought was our home, regardless of who we are.
My alternative post was to write about examples of when letters have been sent out under the signature of the first presidency when the prophet and/or the entire presidency was non compos mentis.
The one sent out under Spencer W. Kimball’s name (which was immediately withdrawn when he made one of his recoveries that marked his ministry) is a good example of one in the past.
Is that an example of steadying the ark or an example of steadying the arms (cf the story of Moses, Aaron, etc. and the time that his arms were supported). Why or why not?
“I think it is easy to find a parallel. The Samaritan is anyone looked down upon:”………..Mormons.
I think part of the point of the story is that the traveler had everything taken from him. No one knew who he was. Had he been dressed as a priest or Levite, they would have probably stopped to help. Perhaps the Samaritan had compassion because he could identify with victim, traveling through hostile territory himself.
Stephen-
That subject (non compos mentis) deserves it own post. I’ve wondered about that myself for years. In the event that a prophet is physically/mentally incapacitated but still alive (which has happened to more than one prophet in my lifetime) is that channel of communication to God effectively cut off? Can the full prophetic authority be temporarily shifted to a relatively healthy apostle, then shifted back to the President of the Church when he is well enough? With or without consent?
I don’t mean to threadjack, I just think the topic should be explored further in a separate post.
#3 PangWitch–
Suppose there’s a Mexican family in a beat-up car on the side of the road, with a bunch of little snot-nosed kids, a pregnant wife, and a migrant-farm-labor-looking dad.
An LDS bishop drove by, but he didn’t stop; he likely was too busy anyway. Likewise, a temple worker drove by, and tried not to make eye contact.
Then a muslim arrived at the scene. He stopped, learned of the family’s desperate situation, and arranged for their car to be towed to a local garage for repairs. He then transported the family to a local motel and pre-paid for a few nights until the car would be fixed and ready to go.
Imagine! A muslim.
Given the values of some readers of this blog, perhaps the best Samaritan comparison in my comment above would be…
“Then a scruffy guy stops in an old pick-up truck, with a confederate flag sticker in the back window. He tows the Mexican’s car back to the shop he works at, sends the family to the diner next door for a meal (on his dime) while he fixes their car and sends them on their way.”
It’s been an enlightening year for me, as I’ve allowed the NT to make me uncomfortable with these soul-searching questions.
Who would be an analog of the Samaritan to me personally?
For me, it might be the pharisaical, anti-science, ultra-right-wing member that I’m constantly tempted to look down upon.
Amen, Joel. This also reminds me of Helaman (3:35 and then later passages I don’t recall) that the persecuted and hates part of the population turned away from hate and anger and revenge and showed a better way by loving example to those who hated them.
#3 – Helping JAR JAR BINKS? BINKS? Pang-Witch, you go TOO far…to Tatooine and the rest of the “Outer Rim Territories”, LoL?
Even in this imaginative mash-up, the Gungan STILL finds a way to be annoying…and Boss Nass still looks like a combination of the late Idi Amin and Curly Howard.
IMO, as if we don’t have enough Pharisaical LDS amongst us, we have no shortage of ‘limousine liberal’ types who’ve never done an honest day’s work in their lives and secretly despise those they purport to advocate, being elitists. As Quagmire pointed out when he ‘owned’ Brian Griffin: “…and another thing I hate about you is your textbook liberal agenda….I work down at the soup kitchen. Never have seen you there! You wanna help? Grab a ladle!”
Well said Joel and HH9
Clark, you it it as well.
Jack, feel free to thread jack.
RaNae — that is an excellent point.
Err “hit it on the nose” as well.
Douglas,
“liberal’ types who’ve never done an honest day’s work in their lives…” I get it.
And, yet, hopefully, we still consider one another neighbors.