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There was a humble woodcarver who was returning home after selling his wares in Jerusalem during the Feast of Weeks. He left early in the morning with his cart and donkey taking the path from Jerusalem down to Jericho. The winding way was eighteen dangerous miles with many sharp curves and cliffs. It was called the “Bloody Pass” by the Jews not only because of the abundant red rock that defined so much of the way, but because it was well-known as a place where bandits frequently ambushed vulnerable travelers. The merchant had only traveled a few miles when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes and beat him leaving him bloodied and half dead. The bandits disappeared into the desert with his cart and his donkey. In his soul, the man cried out to the Lord for help. His last prayer before he lost consciousness was that he not die alone.

A short time later a priest happened to be going down the same road. When he saw the man he was afraid of what would happen if he stopped. He looked around. Seeing no one, he rushed past the man and kept up a quickened pace until he was out of sight around the next turn. He convinced himself that there was nothing he could have done under the circumstances. 

The sun moved higher in the sky and the day grew hotter. Eventually a Levite came to the same place and saw the man. He too was afraid of what could happen to him if he stopped to help. Seeing no one around, the Levite quickly passed by the bloody man and hurried until he was out of sight as well. Afterward he convinced himself that the man on the road must have  been cursed by God for some terrible sin he had committed.

Later on a Samaritan came to where the man lay. (Samaritans and Jews were enemies.) When he saw the bloodied man, he had compassion on him. He bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He gave him water to drink. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he paid the innkeeper enough to provide food, care, and lodging for the man for several weeks. “Look after him,’’ he said, “and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.” The Jewish innkeeper could not imagine how any more payment could be required and wondered how his enemy could be so kind and generous to not only the wounded man, but to him.

While he was recovering at the inn, the woodcarver thanked and praised the Lord for saving his life. He decided to discover for himself the same power that made his unlikely savior both fearless and merciful.

Secrets of the Story

This is an adapted version of the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). There are many important things that can be learned from this story in its original form, but I want to focus on one particular question that this story has raised for me: What is the difference between the first two men who encountered the half-dead man and the third – the enemy of them all?

All three men encountered the same situation but responded in two different ways. This telling of the story suggests (as did Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his ‘“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech) that it was the first two mens’ fear that prevented them from helping. If this is a valid interpretation of their behavior, what caused the Samaritan to help despite the very same danger that put the woodcarver in his predicament and prevented the priest and the Levite from helping when they had the opportunity?

The Samaritan was not ignorant of the dangers he faced. The road to Jericho was well known as a very dangerous passage. Unlike the first two men, the Samaritan appeared to respond without concern for the danger he faced.

What if the Samaritan helped (in part) because he knew in his heart that he was being cared for, even protected, by God? Is it possible that it was not only his compassion that motivated him to save the man, but his trust that God was caring for him as well and would protect him from the dangers on the road? Perhaps he had developed his relationship with God to such an extent that he knew he had nothing to fear. Instead of simply acting out of  ignorance or some kind of reckless compassion (not that there’s anything wrong with that), what if the Samaritan acted out of a trust and fearlessness that is challenging to imagine but not beyond our ability to experience?

Most of us have been socialized and conditioned to believe that the world is a dangerous place and that we must be vigilant against numerous threats. The world we have created is a very dangerous place. But what if this horror-show world is only dangerous to those who do not receive the kind of guidance and protection that comes to those with hearts overflowing with God’s Love? What if we can only trust God to the extent that we have allowed God to Love us? What if most of us simply don’t know God’s Love well enough to perceive the help and protection that are readily available?

We have created and accepted as real an unreal reality – a fabricated world of human invention – that has little in common with the reality of Abundant Living that God longs for us to experience. God wants us to truly thrive. What if we can trust God more than we have been led to believe? What if we can be truly fearless (and compassionate) in God’s Love?

We have accepted lies as truths, and dismissed the highest truths because they seem too good to be true. Our hearts and minds have been hardened by cynicism and misinterpretations regarding the causes of our pain and suffering. This is why so many are not able to perceive the Love and Care that our Heavenly Parent showers upon us each and every moment of our lives.

Jesus taught and lived a life of absolute trust in God – a trust born of soul perceptions that go way beyond anything that the body or mind can perceive or believe. Jesus’s perceptions flowed from a level of participation in God’s Nature of Divine Love that allowed him to trust God completely and show great compassion to others. With this story Jesus points toward the possibility that we too may experience a soulful union with our Creator that can transform our fears and doubts into an unshakable trust, compassion, and fearlessness that flows from the Power of God’s Love glowing within our souls. 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. provided some of the inspiration for this post with regard to the motivations of the priest and the Levite. Amy-Jill Levine’s Short Stories by Jesus (pp.77-115) helped me to better understand the enmity between Jews and Samaritans. I would also like to thank Judas Iscariot and H. for providing insight as well.