Good Samaritans at work
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Editor,
You may also have heard the words from those reporting the efforts of many volunteers helping victims of Hurricane Sandy, “Good Samaritans.” It was Jesus who first told the story of the Good Samaritan, a story about three men, which many of us remember from our early days in Sunday School. Lying in the ditch beside the road was a man who had been beaten and robbed and near death. A priest on his way, perhaps to some very important meeting, saw the man but passed him by, refusing to help. Then a Levite, who assisted the priests in the temple ministry, came along and also refused to help. Finally, the Samaritan comes by and sees that the half-dead victim is a Jew, a member of the nation detested by Samaritans, yet he immediately responds with a compassion that exceeds racial animosities. The priest and the Levite, not withstanding their religious profession, refused the appeal of that higher, bigger, diviner realm which is everywhere around and appealing to all of us, but the Samaritan responded despite obstacles of present danger, racial antipathy and inconvenience. The priest and the Levite saved themselves some time, a few pieces of silver and a lot of inconvenience, but they also missed the best joy that we can know on earth, showing compassion by serving others. We are most like Jesus when we serve others.
Last Saturday, a group of men in our community worked together to buck, split and stack some winter wood for a lady who needed a few Good Samaritans to stop by, offer compassion, and serve a neighbor; just like so many Good Samaritans are doing on the East Coast. I’m reminded of Jesus’ words as recorded in Matthew 25:40: “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it unto me.’”
Harvey A. Town
Polson
