Jonah and the Good Samaritan
Today’s readings are from the book of Jonah and the gospel of Luke concerning the good Samaritan. Both of these readings are powerful and relevant for us today. First, the book of Jonah shows us that we cannot run from God’s plan for us. If we do what God asks of us we also may not understand why we’re doing it as we see with Jonah. In the good Samaritan Jesus answers the question “who is my neighbor?” with a parable about the good Samaritan. In this parable two kinsman of the man who was badly hurt on the side of the road, a priest and a Levite, pass by the man but it is a Samaritan who treats the man’s wounds, takes him to an inn, pays for his stay and saves him. The others who should have helped him were too busy to be bothered. Jesus uses the Samaritan to answer the question on “who is my neighbor?” because Samaritans were unclean according to the Jews but it is man who helps man not Jew who helps Jew or American who helps American. It is all of us who help each other.
Jonah
What was Jonah running from and why did he end up in the belly of the whale? God had told Jonah to go to Ninevah and “preach against it”. The story doesn’t say what to say to the Ninevites but just to “preach against it.” Jonah flees his mission and boards a ship. The ship seems cursed and the crew figures out it is because of Jonah so they throw him overboard and he is swallowed by a great fish. While in the belly of the whale he prays to God thankful that he is not dead; the Lord commands the fish to expel him onto the beach. Jonah was commanded to set out for Ninevah and God would provide the word he would need once he got there. The words given to Jonah were simple “Forty day more and Ninevah shall be overthrown.” The people of Ninevah believed this message and repented and God spared them from destruction. This angered Jonah because he wanted them to be punished. Do we wish to see others punished for their misdeeds? If they repent are we happy that they have found God and His mercy? God, being a patient God, asked Jonah “Are you right to be angry?” Of course, we don’t have a right to be angry when God shows mercy to those who should be punished when they repent. How long do we hold against someone something they did many years ago if they repent of it? Jonah then found a plant to give him shade outside of Ninevah. The plant was killed by a worm and this also angered Jonah but God replied “do you have a right to be angered over the gourd plant?” God is concerned about the 120,000 people of Ninevah who do not “know their right hand from their left” but we want the things we should not want. We want to see God punish our enemies and their children who don’t know their right hand from their left. We want comfort. We want to run from our duties as Christians. What is our duty? To love our neighbor, to pray for our enemies, to carry our cross daily, to deny ourselves and to obey His commands. This picture could be me or you or any one of us. God showed Jonah mercy and Jonah was saved but he doesn’t want to see the Ninevites saved in the same manner. “It is better for me to die than to live” says Jonah. He did not see the miracles happening around him, God’s great mercy for him and others nor did it bring him joy to do the work of the Lord.
Jesus is also like Jonah when He said “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15) but unlike Jonah He did not grumble. If you are reading this, He is saying that to you, right now.
Jonah next to the withered plant
The Good Samaritan
Jesus as the Good Samaritan, an Orthodox Icon
Most of us know the good Samaritan story but most probably do not about Christ as the good Samaritan icon. In this icon we see a man dressed in a red robe who is beaten by demons. He is stripped and left for dead. The demons are seen holding his robe and looking upon him. In the gospel of Luke it says the man was heading down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He was beaten by robbers, stripped and left half-dead. Since he was heading down away from Jerusalem the priest and Levite then were heading up to Jerusalem. They were going to temple and could not be bothered with helping him as it would possibly make them unable to serve in the temple. As Jesus teaches elsewhere though the sabbath is made for man, man is not made for the sabbath. We are not made to go to church, but instead church is there for us, to heal us. We are made in the likeness and image of God and so is our neighbor and therefore our neighbor is our priority. The Samaritan, unclean in the eyes of the Jews, took pity on the man and saved him. He was not pre-occupied with church business.
In the icon we see Jesus as the Samaritan. The man is like Adam who was weakened by sin and the demons embody the sin that attacked him. He becomes weakened. Prior to the beating he looked young and majestic, but after the beating he is weak and old. His hair turned white. Adam represents all mankind, royal before the fall but in need of healing after. In this way, we are like the man who was beaten and left for dead, in need of healing, and Jesus is the one who saves us. He uses oil and wine to clean the wounds and to provide him with something to drink. He bandages the wounds. These are likened to the sacraments which heal us. He takes him to the inn which is likened to the church, a place of refuge and spiritual healing. He offers two silver coins which is likened to scripture and tradition. He says He will return which is like Christ’s promise to return. It is in the church that we find healing from our sin and our weakened nature through the sacraments, scripture and tradition and it is there we await our Lord’s return.
But Jesus finishes the parable with a command.
Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed mercy on him.” And Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:36-37).
Jesus as Jonah, Jesus as Healer and “Go and do likewise”
It is in this command that we should not just be content with going to church but we should look to our neighbor to see where we can help. Are we too busy watching football? Too busy with our hobbies? Too busy with church work? Too busy with work? Or are we even worse than that? Are we mired in sin like the traveler, stripped and beaten by our sin and left for dead? How can you do good for others if you cannot save yourself first?
“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:15). We must repent like the Ninevites and turn our joy into sorrow. We must fast and pray and reflect upon our own short comings. How does God see us? Do we keep the commandments? Do we avoid things like pornography? Do we scoff and mock? Do we undermine others? Do we stab others in the back? Do we envy? Do we hate? Do we judge? Yes, we do all that, and more.
But if we can repent, receive the healing of the Lord through the sacraments, then we must love our neighbor and “go and do likewise!”
It is up to us. There is no one else.