<html><body>Part 2<div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Bob</div><div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> What’s so unsettling about this
parable – and, if we’re honest, about <b><u>ALL</u></b>
of Jesus’ parables – what’s so unsettling about this parable is how much it can
and does cut to our hearts. As Professor Levine pointed out, “the Samaritan is
not a social victim. He has money, freedom to travel, the ability to find
lodging … and some leverage with the innkeeper. The parable, in its original
setting, is not about the type of prejudice that creates people on the margins;
it is about hatred between groups who have similar resources.” <sup>5</sup><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> Somehow, the Samaritan was able to minister
without questioning. He understood what he had; he was aware of what he could
do; and he set aside his own pride, his own feelings inculcated by his
upbringing and his contacts, and not only did he beginning the healing process
of the man whom others had beaten almost to the point of death; not only did he
step in where others could have gone, but who chose to ignore their responsibilities;
but the Samaritan also set up long-term care. Becoming a neighbor, whatever the
circumstances, means taking the time and making the effort to reach out to and
speak for others, no matter what the cost.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> And if this makes us begin to shift
a little uncomfortably in our seats – our church seats, our dining room seats, our
car seats – whatever kind of seats – then Jesus is finding that there’s hope
for us yet<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> Two short comments this week by brothers
of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist seem to help refine my thought
about this story with which Jesus challenged His people. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> “</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:#202020">Loving one another can be difficult, because of the differences
that exist in each individual. Learning to accept those differences, and to
appreciate them, can be ways for us to understand how to love one another
better.” <sup>6</sup><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#202020"> And, “One of the functions of
religion is to help us make the link between our inner reality and outward
behavior. Our life’s work as Christians is religious integrity. Animated by
Christ’s love, our words and actions embody grace and truth in
ever-more-generous ways.” <sup>7</sup><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#202020"> So how does this work here and now?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#202020"> A driver travelling from the
Willamette Valley to the coast ran into problems in the Coast Range. The car
engine failed and wouldn’t restart. There was no cell phone reception. It was
pitch dark and raining heavily. Cars sped past, for what reason, no one knows.
Then one stopped.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#202020"> I was the driver of the car which
broke down. As the driver of the car which stopped a hundred yards beyond where
I was got out, I could hear a woman yell at him not to be a fool and to get
back into his car. It didn’t help that a month previously a driver had been assaulted
and thrown out of his car at almost the same spot. But the man pulled his
collar up and made his way down the road.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#202020"> It turned out that I knew him. He
was one of Lincoln City’s Baptist pastors.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#202020"> The Parable of the Good Baptist! You
mean that there <b><u>ARE </u></b>Good Baptists?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#202020"> But the image that came to my mind
at the beginning of last week, as I thought about becoming neighbours, about
becoming the sort of people who reach out and respond, no matter that there
might be danger and there would almost certainly be some cost and inconvenience;
the image that came to my mind was of the horrendous mess and hatred between
Palestinians and Israeli settlers. What if they discovered the meaning of
becoming neigbours?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#202020"> Or as Any-Jill Levine put it, “I am
an Israeli Jew on my way from Jerusalem to Jericho, and I am attacked by
thieves, beaten, stripped, robbed, and left half dead in a ditch. Two people
who should have stopped to help pass me by: the first, a Jewish medic from the
Israel Defense Forces; the second, a member of the Israel/Palestine Mission
Network of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">But the person who takes compassion on me and
shows mercy is a Palestinian Muslim whose sympathies lie with Hamas, a political
party …” which seems totally at odds with Israel.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> “The parable of the ‘Good Hamas
Member’ might be difficult for people in support of Israel’s existence.” Jesus’
call is <b><u>THAT</u></b> radical. “Will
we,” Levine went on, “will we be able to bind their wounds rather than blow up
their cities?” <sup>8</sup><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> The wounds and the grief may seem
almost too close to us to comment, but the road down to Jericho runs through
Louisiana, and through Minnesota, and through Dallas, Texas. In fact, it runs
the world over, and people are robbed, and beaten, and flung aside, and left
for dead. And people pass by. Some say they will pray about it. But where is
their oil, their loving hand to soothe the wounds of people and society?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> He was lying down, straight out,
looking vulnerable and defenceless. I wonder how many people saw him. One, two,
three people walked past.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> I wonder how he felt. Was he aware
of anything – the light wind blowing over him? The sound of footsteps, some of
them quite close? Traffic?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> He was lying down, straight out, his
left arm extended up from his shoulder so that he could rest his head on it. He
didn’t move. And people walked by, some without glancing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> This was last Wednesday morning. He
lay on the hard, cold cement less and two feet from the door of Samaritan North
Albany General Hospital. And he was alone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">NOTES:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> <i>“Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes”</i> by
Kenneth E. Bailey, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Ill. © 2008, pages 284
ff. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">2</span></span><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> <i>“Short
Stories by Jesus”</i> by Amy-Jill Levine. HarperCollins, New York. © 2014, page
79ff.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">3</span></span><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> Levine, Op. cit., p. 80 ff. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">4</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> <i>“Renewal
of Ministry and Welcoming of a new Vicar”, “Enriching our Worship”</i> Church Publishing
Incorporated, New York. © 2007 by The Church Pension Fund. <a href="https://www.churchpublishing.org/siteassets/pdf/enriching-our-worship-4/enrichingourworship4.pdf">https://www.churchpublishing.org/siteassets/pdf/enriching-our-worship-4/enrichingourworship4.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"">5</span></span><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> Levine, Op. cit., page 112<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">6</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> </span><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#202020;
mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">“Accept”</span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:#202020;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> by </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:#202020">Br. David Allen <a href="http://ssje.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=344ed142b391b2b520df4080c&id=bcfc34ce0a&e=d3bff814a3" target="_blank"><span style="color:#2BAADF">Society of Saint John the
Evangelist</span></a> 1st July 2016.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> For <i>“Brother
give us a Word”</i> index, see <a href="http://ssje.org/word/?page_id=1475">http://ssje.org/word/?page_id=1475</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#202020"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">7</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> <i>“Integrity”</i> by </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:
"Times New Roman";color:#202020">Br. Mark Brown <a href="http://ssje.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=344ed142b391b2b520df4080c&id=6dc923b808&e=d3bff814a3" target="_blank"><span style="color:#2BAADF">Society of Saint John the
Evangelist</span></a> 7<sup>th</sup> July, 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">8</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> Levine, Op. cit., pages 114-5<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><br></div></body></html>