Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: burt@sequent.uucp (Burton Keeble) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Question about the Good Samaritan Message-ID: Date: 5 Jun 91 04:21:23 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Sequent Computer Systems, Inc Lines: 34 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article catfood@ncoast.org (Mark W. Schumann) writes: >I recall having read or heard a commentary on the parable of the >Good Samaritan which claimed that the real point of the story >was that the Samaritan helped the man who was mugged even though >Jews and Samaritans were mortal enemies at the time. > >Is this true? Can someone provide an easy reference? > Well, sort of. There is an absolutely *delightful* rendering of that parable in Fulton Oursler's "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (the chapter entitled 'The Teller of Good Yarns'.). Jesus was adroitly answering the question: "And who *is* my neighbor". After relating the parable, Jesus asks: "Which of these, then, was neighbor to him that fell among the robbers?" ----"And looking back into the smiling face of the Master, the lawyer could answer only: 'He that showed mercy to him.' Even then he could not bring himself to use the definite but forbidden word 'Samaritan.'---- The point of the story was that the Samaritan (the traditional time-honored enemy of the Jews) kept the second commandment, while the Priest and the Levite did not. But the point that we tend to remember is that we all need to be good neighbors to one another. "Go and do you in like manner!" "I'm an emerging theist; just beginning to believe and trust in God. I'm not a saved christian, but I sure do like Jesus 8-)". burt@sequent.sequent.com