SERMON ON THE GOOD SAMARITAN

A Contemporary Icon of the Good Samaritan 

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

FOR THE 13TH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY AT ST. VALENTINE’S CHURCH, LOVELAND, OHIO

OPENING COLLECT

Almighty and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that Thy faithful people do unto Thee true and laudable service: Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may so faithfully serve Thee in this life, that we fail not finally to attain Thy heavenly promises; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

GOSPEL: Luke 10:23-37 - 

And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

SERMON 

In the Gospel for today, we are given the story of the Good Samaritan, a parable that calls us to understand the depths of what it means to love our neighbor. The lawyer’s question to Christ, “Who is my neighbor?” reveals a profound spiritual blindness, not unlike the blindness found in the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Rabbis of that time. It is a blindness that can still afflict us today, even in our desire to justify ourselves, and categorize those around us according to their worthiness. 

THE RELIGIOUS ELITE: BLIND TO COMPASSION

The figures of the priest and the Levite in the parable represent the religious elite, men bound to the letter of the law but blind to its spirit. Their passing by the wounded man, lying helpless on the road to Jericho, reflects how the religious system of their day had become insulated from the cries of human suffering. Instead of responding with love and mercy, they are concerned with their own purity, status, and convenience.

St. John Chrysostom, the Golden-mouthed, reminds us, "The rich man is not one who is in possession of much, but one who gives much." This is the core of the Samaritan’s action—he gave of himself. While the priest and Levite were rich in their religious roles, they gave nothing. They had possessions, they had titles, but they lacked the one thing needful: love.

This is the blindness of the Pharisee, the Sadducee, and the self-justifying lawyer: an obsession with external piety, while inwardly, they are “full of dead men’s bones” (Matt. 23:27). The Pharisee within each of us often asks the same question: “Who is my neighbor?”—in other words, whom *must* I love? But Christ turns this on its head and shows us that the neighbor is not defined by who they are, but by our willingness to love and serve.

THE GOOD SAMARITAN: AN ICON OF MERCY

The Good Samaritan, a figure despised by the Jews, becomes the model of what it means to be a true follower of Christ. He sees the suffering man, binds his wounds, pours in oil and wine, and carries him to safety. His actions are the perfect illustration of St. Paul’s teaching in Galatians: “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Gal. 5:14).

This parable also brings to mind our Nonjuring Father William Law, who said, “If you have not chosen the kingdom of God first, it will in the end make no difference what you have chosen instead.” The Samaritan chose the kingdom of God by choosing mercy over judgment, love over indifference.

In contrast, the priest and Levite embody what Alexander Solzhenitsyn would call “the line dividing good and evil” that cuts through the heart of every man. It is easy to condemn their neglect, but we too must ask: how often do we cross to the other side when we see our neighbor in need?

INTERNALIZING THE LESSON OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN

C.S. Lewis famously wrote, “Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.” The wounded man on the road was just such an object. Our neighbors—those we live with, work with, and even those who oppose us—are opportunities to encounter Christ. If we pass them by, we miss not only the opportunity to serve, but to be transformed.

Dostoevsky, in “The Brothers Karamazov”, has Father Zosima say, “Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams.” We often idealize loving others, but the parable of the Good Samaritan reminds us that love in action is costly, inconvenient, and at times, uncomfortable. The Samaritan not only interrupts his journey, but also risks his safety, spends his own money, and offers no expectation of repayment.

Lancelot Andrewes, one of our great English Divines, helps us understand this deeper call to love when he says, “There is nothing better than charity, nor greater than patience, nor stronger than humility.” The Samaritan's humility allowed him to stop, to care, to recognize in the wounded man his own humanity. In remembering this, the Samaritan became truly great! 

THE “NEIGHBORS” AROUND US

Who, then, are our neighbors today? They are all those whom God places in our path—those we might consider “enemies” or strangers, those who are marginalized or forgotten. Jeremy Taylor urges us, “Love is the greatest thing that God can give us, for Himself is love; and it is the greatest thing we can give to God.” Our neighbors, near and far, present us with countless opportunities to give this greatest gift, not just in word, but in deed.

Our calling is not to be like the self-righteous lawyer, seeking loopholes in the commandment to love. Rather, as the blessed William Laud encourages, “Unity and peace are the desires of heaven, and should be the desires of every Christian heart.” We build this unity by embracing the neighbor God gives us, by healing the wounds of division and suffering with the balm of mercy.

John Wesley, a follower of the Eastern Fathers who is central to recent Western theology, captures this spirit perfectly: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” This is the life of the Good Samaritan.

SUMMARY: GO AND DO THOU LIKEWISE

The lesson of the Good Samaritan challenges us to look beyond the religious formalism that can trap us into seeing faith as mere obligation. Faith must express itself in works of love and mercy. Christ calls us to go and do likewise: to love without limits, to serve without expecting a return, and to recognize the face of Christ in every neighbor.

May we, like the Samaritan, give of ourselves to bind the wounds of a broken world, and in doing so, become vessels of God’s mercy, healing, and grace. Amen.

COLLECT

Almighty and merciful God, who hast taught us through Thy Son the perfect way of love, grant that we may ever follow the example of the Good Samaritan, giving ourselves in service to our neighbors, without thought of reward or recognition. Open our eyes to the needs of those around us, and soften our hearts, that we may love as Thou hast loved us. Strengthen us to overcome every temptation to pass by the suffering and the weak, and make us ever mindful that in ministering to the least of these, we serve Thee. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.