Let the smile of God touch through you
O Lord,
Who loves the stranger, we pray you would defend and sustain all sojourners in strange lands, and poor helpless persons, that they may glorify you out of grateful hearts. And to such people as are tyrannical and oppressive, give searchings of spirit and amendment of ways, that you might show mercy to them also.
Amen.[1]
Luke 10:25-37 NRSV
A lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “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.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Jesus (as the storyteller) can speak to the state of the man’s heart, while the lawyer (as the hearer of the story) must make his judgment on the actions Jesus describes (the Samaritan’s going to the man, tending his wounds, taking him to the inn, etc). Thus, the full picture of this Samaritan is that of pure neighborliness, inside and out. We find ourselves pleading for God’s help to become the wholehearted and fully embodied neighbor Jesus describes in the passage. As Christians, we hardly need a reminder of the number of times we “have passed by on the other side” of those in need. And, even when we have acted on certain occasions with “mercy,” we hear the secret grumbling inside us, “I’m really too busy for this now,” or “Why is this man walking alone on this road to begin with?” Jesus teaches that the standard of heaven is perfection: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Our only hope is the work of Christ in us, making us neighbors worthy of a heavenly home.
Dear Lord,
I am far from perfect, and I lack the purity of neighborliness in the Samaritan of this parable. Today, by your Spirit dwelling in me, increase compassion in my heart for others in need and the willingness to act on their behalf.
Amen. [2]
Reach Out and Touch
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Corinthians 4.15).
[1] “Of Intercession for the Stranger.” Every Moment Holy, Volume 3 (Nashville: Rabbit Room Press, 2024, p. 436)
[2] https://anglicancompass.com/today-in-the-spirit-proper-10c/
