The Good Samaritan

Nearly everyone who has spent any time at church knows this story. Even those who were not raised as Christians usually have some idea what it means to be a “good Samaritan”—that is to help someone. Yet, for us in the church who know this parable by heart, it has lost something very, very important. The parable no longer holds the surprise that it did when new Jewish Christians heard the story for the very first time. The novels and movies I enjoy the most are those with the surprise ending. “I never saw that coming. What a great twist in the story!” That “wow” factor is gone the next time we read or see that story, because we know what is coming. I will not write Sunday’s sermon until Tuesday, but my head is already spinning with ideas about how I can put that “wow” factor in the message so you can experience what those early Christians did. In this modern age of rational scientific thought, we need to be reminded of the mystical powers of Christ that can make radical changes in our lives. Let’s see if we can rediscover the “wow” factor of our faith in this familiar old parable.

Bruce Dobyns