The Good Samartian 'rap'

Today’s gospel of the Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the best known of all Jesus’ parables. There probably isn’t anyone who ever attended church a few times who hasn’t heard the parable.

A parable is a story with a deeper moral, teaching us a lesson about the life Jesus want us to live. It contains symbols and relationships that we can use to help us understand the ‘true’ meaning of the story. But Jesus doesn’t say it directly, but hides it in the parable or ‘story’ for us to discover the real meaning.

So let’s listen to the Parable of the Good Samaritan:

A lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live." But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus answered, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’ Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?" He said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."(Luke 10:25-37)

Jesus’ lesson was that we were to take care of each other. . .

no matter who we were or who the other person was.

He hammered home that we are all brothers and sisters. . .

brothers and sisters of Him!

Now, let’s hear the parable in a little different way:

A lawyer once asked, "What must I do

To inherit eternal life, what say you?"

Jesus replied, "What says the Law?"

"To love God and your neighbor without any flaw". This said the man and Jesus replied, "Do this and you will be justified".

"But who is my neighbor in what category?"

He said and so Jesus told him this story

A man was going along the way

And suddenly found himself in great dismay

He was robbed, beaten and left for dead

While the robbers took what they would and fled

A priest happened to go down the street

And saw the man whom the robbers did beat

But he passed him by on the other side He could have helped, but he did not provide A Levite also did the same.

But finally a Samaritan came.

When he saw he took pity on him

As the man's prospects were clearly grim

He bandaged his wounds pouring on wine and oil

Caring for him with much toil

He took him to an inn and then the next day

Payed for his care while he went away

But told the innkeeper, "I will return

And pay you any extra that you earn"

Now which of these three do you suppose

Was a neighbor to the man, which do you propose?

"The one who showed mercy," the lawyer replies

Jesus answered, "Go and do likewise."

So if you think by the Law you will be saved

You'd better be more than just well behaved

You must love in spirit and not only in letter

Though you think you're good, you must be better. (in rap style)[1]

What we just heard still gives us the same message and teaches us the same lesson, but it certainly grabs our attention.

Let’s look at the characters in this parable:

The lawyer asked Jesus how he could have eternal life: He wanted a concrete list of ‘dos’ that would guarantee he would get into Heaven. He could recite the Jewish law, but it seemed as if he wanted more specific instructions. And is being able to recite the law enough to get into Heaven?