I've been reflecting on the story of the Good Samaritan in response to the Palestinian/Israeli situation. It strikes me that often as Christian we want to do what the Good Samaritan does - love the most vulnerable, reach out to the broken world with acts of kindness. I think that this is a good thing, but ultimately not the sole message of the parable, which i think has a lot to say about reconciliation and how we view our enemy.
Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan in response to a question. The question is not ‘How do I love my neighbour?’ which in many ways the story of the Good Samaritan answers in a very practical way, we love our neighbours through acts of kindness, but that is not the question, the question that Jesus is answering is ‘Who is my neighbour?’. And Jesus’ answer in this parable is that you enemy is your neighbour, the person that you despise, the person who you have been battling with for years, the person that you will not talk to again…they are you neighbour. This parable is not about random acts of kindness to strangers, it is about loving the person that you despise. But more than that it is about recognising that even though I may despise that person there is still good within them, that person is still a reflection of God, still a child of God.
The hatred between the Samaritans and Jews had gone on for hundreds of years. Both sides claimed to be true inheritors to the land through the promises of Abraham and Moses. And I stop because at this moment in time we see history repeating itself, The hatred between Palestinians and Israeli’s has gone on for decades. Both sides claim to be true inheritors of the land… Few Israelis today will ever travel from Jerusalem to Jericho is would involve going into the so called ‘West Bank’ and to risk violence. The land of the Palestinians, the land of their enemies…
But Christ’s story gives me a glimmer of hope. There in enemy territory, after I am beaten and left for dead my perceived enemy comes to me and rescues me. My enemy, bandages my wounds, puts me on his animals and pays for my care. My enemy reflects the image of God, my enemy is my neighbour. When I attack my enemy, I attack my neighbour and I attack the image of God.
