An expert in the law asks Jesus, "How do I inherit eternal life?" Jesus then responds by asking him how he would answer the question. He says, "Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself."
Jesus sees this as a great response....
But the man had something else he was itching to ask. "Who is really my neighbor?" he asks.
And so Jesus tells a story. (Read Lk 10:30-35)
One thing we have learned about Jesus is that he always gets to the heart of the matter. The man probably wasn't a fan of Jesus making a Samaritan the hero of a story. In fact, he couldn't even bring himself to say..the samaritan. he simply said, "the one who had mercy on him". You can feel the tension in his own heart. The one...that one man...is the one he hoped he didn't have to include as his neighbor.
The story of the Good Samaritan needs to be retitled. Because it's a story about loving people you hate. We don't have any Samaritans around us today. In fact, the title "Good Samaritan" is a very pleasant thought in our society today. if jesus were telling the story today i imagine he would replace the Samaritan with an illegal immigrant. or perhaps an Arab Muslim. or maybe your brother or your parents. maybe even a friend that has stabbed you in the back. Why would it be titled that way?
Because the point of the story is to point out the hatred in our own hearts. So retitle the story in your own mind.
The Good _______________
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