Most of us are familiar with the parable of the Good Samaritan, the story Jesus told to remind us that the person we find in need is our neighbor. Pastor Frank Pavone (USA) gives some illumination to Jesus' parable. He explains that in Jesus' time, the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was very dangerous; robbers would frequently waylay travelers and do to them just what the robbers in Jesus' story did to the poor traveler. As for why the Levite and the priest passed by the wounded man, Pastor Pavone writes: "Perhaps the priest and the Levite who passed by that man asked themselves, 'If I stop to help this man, what might happen to me? Maybe the robbers who attacked him are sill here. Maybe they're hiding just around the bend. This is a dangerous road. I better keep going.'"
Pastor Pavone continues: "And then the Good Samaritan came along, and he reversed the question. He didn't ask, 'If I help this man, what will happen to me?' The Good Samaritan asked, 'If I do not help this man, what will happen to him?'"
Pastor Pavone's illumination of this parable bears on our lives. The modern western mindset-a mindset more and more prevalent in the world as time goes by-considers the lives of unborn children disposable. The contemporary world is that dangerous road from Jericho to Jerusalem. If we do not defend unborn children and their moms from a "choice" which kills one and wounds the other, who will? If we do not defend mothers from the pressure to "get rid of the problem" if they find themselves unexpectedly pregnant, who will? The priest and the Levite took the easy way for themselves, but history holds them in low regard. The Good Samaritan did the more difficult thing, but the assault victim and history hold him in high regard. May we be the Good Samaritan by promoting the life and dignity of moms and their unborn children. May Swaziland build a culture of life.
Rudy Poglitsh
rpoglitsh@live.com
more letters at http://letterstotheTOS.blogspot.com
