catfood@ncoast.org (Mark W. Schumann) (06/02/91)
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? -- ============================================================ Mark W. Schumann 3111 Mapledale Avenue, Cleveland 44109 USA Domain: catfood@ncoast.org UUCP: ...!mailrus!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!ncoast!catfood "I don't remember what I was going to say." --J. Schumann ============================================================ [Just about any Biblical commentary will give this sort of detail. They are available in any Christian bookstore or library. I think saying Jews and Samaritans were mortal enemies is somewhat of an exaggeration. But it's true that there was a fair amount of hostility, and that this did form the background of the passage. --clh]
bill@emx.utexas.edu (Bill Jefferys) (06/03/91)
In article <Jun.2.01.24.56.1991.16259@athos.rutgers.edu> 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.
My father, who is a clergyman, points out that the Samaritans
were considered a despised and outcast group by the Jews. He
would recast the story by putting a contemporary outcast group
in the place of a Samaritan (in the 1950s, that could have been
a Black). To understand the parable this way today, try
substituting the word "Homosexual" for "Samaritan."
Bill Jefferys
--
If you meet the Buddha on the net, put him in your kill file
--Robert Firthburt@sequent.uucp (Burton Keeble) (06/05/91)
In article <Jun.2.01.24.56.1991.16259@athos.rutgers.edu> 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
fyfe@cis.ohio-state.edu (Bob Fyfe) (06/11/91)
From article <Jun.2.01.24.56.1991.16259@athos.rutgers.edu>, by catfood@ncoast.org (Mark W. Schumann): > 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. Just a note... I grew up knowing the parable of the "Good" Samaritan. Interestingly, scripture that I read never calls the Samaritan "good" (in KJV it says in Luke 10:33 ...a certain Samaritan and in NIV it just says ...a Samaritan). The reason that I brought this point up is that I've always felt that THAT was part of the lesson. In other words, Jesus didn't point out that this was an unusual Samaritan (although probably he was for the formentioned reasons of Jews and Samaritans) but rather, just a Samaritan. We attribute "good" to him when in fact, Jesus calls all of us to be like him. I.E. That should be "average" behavior :-) bobb ************************************************************************* * Bob Fyfe * * c/o Computer Services * * Rm. 241 Math-Scieince Building "This world is not my home... * * Bowling Green State University ...I'm just-a passing through" * * Bowling Green, Ohio 43403 * ************************************************************************* * Phone: (419) 372-2103 * * Bitnet: BFYFE@TRAPPER -or- FYFE@BGSUOPIE * * Internet: fyfe@andy.bgsu.edu -or- bfyfe@trapper.bgsu.edu * *************************************************************************