Striving to be a Good Samaritan

Dear Diary,

This happened two days ago on a Tuesday night… but I thought I recount it anyway, haha… I was returning home from work. After alighting from the bus, I journeyed through the Catholic Church nearby. They were having a funeral wake as usual and I noticed from afar that a car was pulling out of the parking lot in the church compound. I slowed down a little in my pace as the car was reversing out of the lot. Then I slipped past it through the side gate and waited for the car to pass by so I could just cut across the main gate safely. However, I was puzzled why the car was inching so slowly… Surely, the driver can depress the accelerator and speed off, right? I was exhausted after a long day and admittedly getting a little impatient with that car. Then the windows of the car came down. I was literally imagining that a rifle would stick out and I would duck instinctively, throwing the keys jingling in my pocket at the offensive firearm and dislodging it from that evil-doing hand. Yes, such a fruitful imagination from a lethargic mind which was bent on getting the entire body home to have a good shower and “bed sweet home”, haha... Of course, I stood rooted and was surprised when an elderly lady in that car called out to me, asking if I wanted a lift down that long dark deserted road ahead. I saw three other cheerful elderly ladies in that car. I declined them gratefully with thanks, telling them that my house is just 5 metres from the church, hahaha… Laughter emerged from the depths of the car before it drove off. I don’t even know them, haha… Yup, the road ahead was indeed dark and maybe I was trudging along wearily? There is a pleasant feeling that someone offered to help me although I wasn’t really in need of help. I usually have the impression that girls or rather… females do that better than guys because they “feel” rather than “think” when it comes to relations with people around them.

Coincidentally, I was reading on the parable of the Good Samaritan from the gospel of Saint Luke this morning in my quiet time. Christ Jesus told this parable in response to a question asked not to seek knowledge but to try to trip Our Lord. Obviously, as always, Jesus Christ gave an incredibly good answer with a parable which has not only literal interpretation but an allegorical one.

Teacher,” a certain expert in the law asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”; and “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10: 25 – 29)

And Jesus answered with the parable,


A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said, “and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.”
Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? (Luke 10:30 – 36)

I thought that this parable really is a beautiful one which we constantly overlook because it has become all too familiar to us. In its literal interpretation, we can see that this man was travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho which isn’t too far a distance (haven’t got the exact distance) but it can’t exceed 30 km I think. However, in the ancient world… as you always see in movies or Chinese sword-fighting dramas, you usually get robbed by bandits in some inhabited and secluded alleys or forests. Unless you know martial arts and kungfu… haha… This man in the parable either did not know martial arts or wasn’t too good in it to deal with the aggression by the robbers. So he was robbed of his money and his clothes. Robbers, these days, don’t take people’s clothes when they rob. That is why I am puzzled when I recalled how the roman guards actually gambled for Jesus Christ’s clothes at the foot of the cross. Of course, if they knew he was God incarnate… then it would be different… you know… like relics. They didn’t… they thought he was just a common criminal to be executed by the Roman legal system. So people did rob for clothes in those days. Anyway, after the robbers left… the priest came along. He did not stop, did not speak, walked to the other side of the road, did not bother to help… tsk tsk…. Just like how the Jamaican psychiatric patient was ignored by hospital staff, patients and security when she slumped face-down on the floor after prolonged waiting in a named US hospital as reported in the news yesterday. Help only came much later when someone nudged her motionless body with the foot. Apathy… this trait permeates our society today. Prejudice too… psychotic patient, so she must be play-acting. Sigh… The Levite came along and did exactly what the priest did too. The irony is that both of them were religious men who obviously were people whom you expect to do good!

Now, a Samaritan came along… As you can read from the earlier passage in the parable, he took pity when he saw that man. He provided personal aid to that victim and more. This is all the more amazing when you understand the cultural issues then. The Jews despised the Samaritans and for a Samaritan to render help to a Jew is almost as if to help one’s enemy. Yet, the good Samaritan did just that. Jesus, in concluding, told us to do likewise and be a neighbour to people around us. You will realise that Jesus did not really answer who are our “neighbours”. What he did was to propound, “Will you be a neighbour to someone in distress or in need or who is an outcast or your enemy?” Are we like the good Samaritan? Christ, in telling this parable, broke down the fences of legalism, racial or national hatred, and honoured the despised.

If there is any other reason why we should strive to be the good Samaritan, it is because our Lord Jesus is the good Samaritan, allegorically speaking. The fallen human nature and condition (depicted by the victim), reeked of sins and condemnation under Satan’s yoke (depicted by the robbers), is something the law and the Prophets (depicted by the priest and the Levite) cannot help. Only Jesus Christ our Saviour (depicted by the Good Samaritan) can help us from our fallen nature. So, we see the evangelical message in this parable, subtly hidden. I am not sure why the Samaritan poured oil and wine on the victim though… means of graces? Unction? Sacramental implications? It just goes to show how incredible each passage in the bible is if we really take the time to read it. Admittedly, I am doing so now because I am on leave today and for the next 2 more days. ;-) Lots of free time… but I must make it a habit and not give this “busy” excuse.

An ex-student just locked her blog and suddenly it just occurred to me that I may have to do something along that line to hide my identity further when I start my new job too. I don’t think I will contribute much thought on pharmacy practice anymore soon. Realised that I have been communicating through the blog with people whom I never talked to or seen in real life. Especially troubling when they are Singaporean pharmacists whom I do not know personally. Pharmacy is such a small circle in Singapore, yeah? I may consider writing under a nickname in a faraway blog in the near future and hopefully it will just be on my thoughts and spiritual devotions. If it takes off, it will not be hyperlinked to this blog. Hopefully with this new upcoming job, I will find more time to be faithful in word and in deed. As for the pharmacy practice arena, I will take my bow soon.

Take care everyone and all the best.

God Bless,

Andrew