The Parable of The Good Samaritan-A Beacon for Interfaith Relations

Since the terrorist attacks of 911 many Americans have developed a keen interest in Islam,it's people,and it's teachings.Why,we ask ourselves,would Muslims do this to us?The fact is that there is not one Islam,just as there is not one Christianity,or one Judaism.In Islam there are many sects and divisions just as we have in Christianity.Like us,they have inflicted violence upon one another as well as upon members of outsider faiths at times in history.Violence,however,is not the hallmark of this religion.It is not the cornerstone.

It is vital that as Catholics,we follow the teaching of Jesus in the parable of the Good Samaritan when relating to people of the Islamic faith.

Luke 10:25-37

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?"He said in reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."He replied to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live."But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"Jesus replied, "A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight.He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him.The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, 'Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.'Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?"He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

The story takes place on a road that goes down from Jerusalem to Jericho. It is 17 miles long and drops about 3,000 feet in those 17 miles,a hazardous trip due to thieves and robbers.The victim(assumed to be a Jewish man like the man who posed the question) lies stripped,unable to speak and therefore unidentifiable. Historically, a person can be identified in one of two ways: by dress and and by voice. The injured man has no outward indicators of group identity to appeal to a fellow passerby.He can't qualify as someone's neighbor and is therefore ignored by the Priest and the Levite who pass by.

The Priest and the Levite represent all of us,especially the pious who are held to a higher standard.These two men would be risking their own  personal safety and reputation for getting involved with a wounded stranger in an isolated area.They must take account of the dangers of possibly being implicated, of being attacked themselves,  of perhaps becoming contaminated by disease,and more importantly, of religious defilement, if the man is dead,which would create a scandal and require time consuming ritual cleansing.They would have had pressing matters of their own to attend to,or they may have simply been indifferent.

The Samaritans were a mixed race of  the Jews of captivity and the Arab peoples of the lands where they were held captive.The relationship between the Jews and Samaritans was one of mutual hostility. So when Jesus,speaking to his own ethnic audience, chooses a Samaritan(an enemy) as the heroic figure in the story,he is deconstructing the problem of racial and religious prejudice.


The Samaritan was religiously bound by the same law as the Jews. Not a native of that area, the Samaritan has no reason to identify the half dead man as his neighbor or as one of his own people. Risking defilement,scandal,and personal injury in approaching the wounded stranger,the Samaritan moves quickly with compassion and helps the fallen man, mercifully dressing his wounds and carrying him to shelter.The wounded man has no money to pay for his own lodging. When he recovers, if he cannot pay the debt to the innkeeper, he could be arrested, Matthew 18:23-35. The Samaritan knows this and volunteers personal money (two danarri is two days wages,a hefty sum) and whatever else is needed to see to the needs of this unidentified man. Clearly, the Samaritan does not expect his money to be returned.

Prejudice comes naturally to human beings.Sometimes it has roots in legitimate grievances,but more often than not, it is based on selfishness,pride,personal ambition,and ignorance. In this parable,Jesus calls us to step out of a sinful way of being and seeing, into a life lived wholly in mercy and unconditional love for others.For most of us it takes some work to achieve this.Educational resources such as this book(Muhammad and the Believers - Fred M. Donner - Harvard University Press )are a help to us as Catholics when we wander into the dark realms of stereotyping and resenting the outsider,the different one,and yes,even the enemy.Our mercy,like God's must be renewed every morning.