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     The parable of the Good Samaritan is certainly one of the best known of all of Jesus' parables.  We are indebted to the evangelist Luke for preserving it since it does not appear in the other gospels, even if the two greatest commandments do.  The story begins with a dialogue between Jesus and "a scholar of the law."  The essential question is asked by the scholar, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"  The scholar shows that he knows the text, but his knowledge seems to be only on the level of the text and within his own kind of people because he asks Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"  His two questions are a direct challenge to every Christian because the answer is in the parable.  Everyone is our neighbor!  

     The enmity between Jew and Samaritan went back 700+ years to when the Assyrians conquered the Northern Kingdom (Israel).  It was cultural and religious in nature and ran deep.  The mercy of the Samaritan toward the Jewish victim of the robbers transcended this.  Jesus tells us that if we wish to inherit eternal life, we must show that same transcendent mercy.  Individually, we may do this and know of many other people and religious or secular agencies that do the same.  Yet, our current political climate emphasizes power over mercy and exclusion over welcome.  Somehow, Jesus' admonition gets lost because unless one is a "citizen," one is unworthy of mercy.  The scholar of the law answered both of Jesus' questions correctly.  He knew what the law said, but after hearing Jesus' parable, he then knew how to apply it.  He had only to "Go and do likewise."  Can we as a nation do the same?  AMEN