The Good Samaritan

I’m impressed with so many of these posts. There is a deep thread of understanding and compassions running through so many of them.

Annie nobody says that this is ‘easy’ - isn’t that the whole point? Our animal instincts pull us one way ie defend our territory and resources against outsiders, those from other packs or tribes. Our humanity, pulls us another way. Certain parables explain this dichotomy so well, the Good Samaritan being a prime example.

Alexa I did read Coco123’s post, heard often the claim that Christ was a socialist and how her sister votes Tory, sorry but this ‘ only socialists care and those who are tories don’t, is so wrong. I don’t care if she studied this , that and the other, heard it all before.

Thank you Grannyactivist.

If only governments and individuals would try to obey the precepts you quoted!

Refugees have been around for thousands of years and the bible has an overarching theme about how they should be treated:

Leviticus 19:34 New International Version (NIV)
The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself

Deuteronomy 10:18-19 New International Version (NIV)
He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners

Matthew 25:35 New International Version (NIV)
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.

Matthew 25:40 New International Version (NIV)
‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

Anniebach wrote:

"And we have to accept if we say God loves all we accept he loves those who break laws too."

I don't think Jesus ever said not use reason as an aid to love. Sincere, hard working, and honest use of one's reason and knowledge is necessary for love . Love is more than cosy feelings. I guess that Elizabeth Fry the prison reformer used reason.
spartacus-educational.com/REfry.htm

Anniebach I agree that the Widow's Mite parable and the Good Samaritan parables differ in the stories but I think that the theme is the same , that's to say, the theme of low status persons' kindness as valuable or more valuable . Both the Samaritan and the Widow were low status persons for different reasons.

If you read Coco123's post she explains how these parables may be taken to be broadly socialist in their ethics.

Yes Rosina if only - it was that easy

Jesus had it so right; 'Love one another, don't fight, forgive everything'. If only....

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

I don’t belong to any organised religions?? they cause division IMHO , but studied RE and Theology in school and for m y degree. My sister says she’s a Christian. We BEHAVE v differently! I try to explain feeling compassion is a precursor to action. The Good Samaritan didn’t just feel compassion and carry on walking by ,he put him self out on so many levels. He delayed his journey, he was out of pocket, he gave help to someone who was supposed to be his enemy. IE. He gave , not just felt I despair of how God is mentioned by MPs , and Theresa May is supposed to be a Christian ! Unless you really read and understand Jesus teaching , and I’m not talking from a religious point of view, I’m talking from humanity point of you ,I don’t see how you can pursue these Tory policies.

Studying for O level RE I had a lightbulb moment when I realised that Jesus was a socialist and that he was for a big society , where we look at and after each other , not a small society with business at the top of the list ! Needless to say my sister votes Tory , voted Leave and says she is not anti - immigration but every thing she says proves she is. Believes the Daily Mail, so is must be true! I really think she would have said ‘ oh look that poor man ‘ and walked past because......... choose any reason !! I don’t think many people think about what it must be like to leave your country, your family your friends , the climate , the food etc and risk your life and your children s to basically ask for help out of hellish situations. In short I think it’s always a good thing to be a good Samaritan We have the seventh largest economy in the world and one of the European countries that takes the fewest asylum seekers. I think the rhetoric at the moment is evil and lies Or as some would say fake new ( because statistically the numbers are wrong) and Study after study show immigrants contribute more to society rather than take from it . We are all human and global citizens , at this point in our history I think it is even more important to be united .

Many good stories here but my parents had an unpleasant experience. They were driving at night when a well dressed man flagged them down. He asked for a lift into town. Mum got in the back seat and the man got in the passenger seat. As he talked they realised there were mental issues. Then the man turned to mum and put his hand on her thigh as far as he could reach. Mum was terrified and couldn't say anything to dad, who was driving. Luckily the man reached town and got out of their car. They always told me never to pick a stranger up, ever!

What an education - and a roller coaster - this thread is. Damp tissue from the stories of kindness at the beginning, prompted by Anja's post to check the Martin Luther King reference. Gosh! www.biblegateway.com/blog/2012/04/why-didnt-they-stop-martin-luther-king-jr-on-the-parable-of-the-good-samaritan/ - great read! And the day before he was assassinated. Thanks Anja for that.

PECS yes Christ taught us how to live but he also taught us ‘ forgive us our sins as we forgive others their sins ‘ .

It’s easy to speak of loving our neighbour , not always easy to forgive though.

which is better love or hate? look at the state of human condition and how they generally treat each other? I think jesus observation was right,shame about the development ofreligions though......

I do not have a religious faith. But I do think thst is what the Christian faith says..God loves all but had set clear guidelines about how to live..no killing, theft, avarice etc. Jesus added extra: share what you have to make life more comfortable for those who do not have, be kind to everyone not just people like you. It is hard.

Anja you are not a Christian so are Free to pick and choose the teachings of Christ who you don’t believe in

I agree.
The Golden Rule is also something that people need to be reminded about. If everyone used it as their rule for life, the world would be a better place.

That is a question you have to answer within yourself Annie - whether people have the free will to pick and mix the teachings of their chosen religion. I’m not religious at all as I’ve already stated, but there are principles we live by and I’ve always been impressed by the messages passed on in the parables, how universal they are and how they are still relevant in the 21st century.

There are those, like Trump and others, who spread false rumours that, to use some of your own examples, immigrants are thieves, murderers, child muderers and rapists. When in truth they are simply, in the majority, just people like you and me who have the misfortune to be born into a country like Syria or Hunduras or the Congo.

Is it really ‘so easy to talk of the Good Sanaritan’? I’d say not at all it is difficult and tests our humanity what is easy is to absorb the hatred and lies spewed out by certain people.

Yes sodapop. May not like what they do but still love them.

In chats here about being a Christian I have said it is hard and it certainly is.

So easy to talk of the Good Samaritan and God’s love but we should also remember the thief on the Cross. Take those who speak of the Good Samaritan are they able to accept forgiveness of murderers, child abusers , politicians we don’t agree with ?

In the same way we love our children Anniebach even when they do something wrong. We may not like them or what they have done but we still love them.

PECS, is it that simple ? God loves all means God loves those who do wrong too. If we ignore governments we ignore laws too do we not ? And we have to accept if we say God loves all we accept he loves those who break laws too.

Martin Luther King said: "On the parable of the Good Samaritan, I imagine that the first question the priest and Levite asked was: 'If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?' But by the very nature of his concern, the Good Samaritan reversed the question: 'If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?'"

So if we do not help refugees what will happen to them?

Isn't part of the message thst we are all the same " in the eyes of God" and if we want to follow God's laws we should not copy what the government, religious or other leaders tell us but to follow the word of Christ ..and love our neighbour..who is anybody!

Alexa Do you not think the ‘widows mite’ was a lesson not in loving thy neighbour but a lesson in measuring giving , the widow gave the smallest coinage to the temple,, the wealthy gave a percentage of their money, Christ said the widow had given more because she had given all ?

Yes, the Samaritan may have taken a risk but the point that Jesus made was that a generally despised person may love his neighbour better than respectable persons love their neighbour. The Widow's Mite has much the same theme.