By Fr. John Brobbey
This Sunday, we reflect on the parable of the Good Samaritan from Luke 10:25-37. The allegorical interpretation by the Church Fathers presents the lawyer as humanity seeking salvation. The Good Samaritan represents God, who, although Jesus crossed the road—signifying that He came to earth in the flesh—the half-dead man symbolizes humanity, which, through the disobedience of Adam, was left half-dead in sin.
The priest and Levite who pass the half-dead man represent the old law and the Old Testament. Jesus, who became like us, picked him up and took him to the inn, which is the Church. The oil and wine symbolize the sacraments. The innkeeper is the Father of the Church, who is God Himself, and the payment was the sacrifice Jesus offered with His body and blood on the cross to redeem us.
From a biblical perspective, a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho must be a Jew who would avoid passing through Samaria, thus taking the dangerous route. A priest and a Levite pass him by on the other side without helping him. A Samaritan, who is supposedly an enemy of the Jew, is the one who crosses over to tend to his needs. To the Jewish person, his neighbor is another Jewish person. To Jesus, your neighbor is the human being, created in the image and likeness of God, and even more so, the one who is not like you, does not speak like you, does not think like you, and does not behave like you.
It is in this light that I wish to thank the wonderful Good Samaritans of St. Francis who have made me one of your own in these last four years. God bless you for all the love, support, and encouragement. Iowa nice is real! Iowa nice is true! Iowa nice is the best! Christian life is all about being NICE! The road that I take surely leads back to Iowa. Sometime, somehow, somewhere, we shall surely meet again. See you soon!