Remember the Good Samaritan!

I am excited to introduce myself and narrate my story to you. I am the man saved by the good Samaritan in the story told by Jesus. I am sure you have heard and read my story many a times. Today I wish to relate the same story as I've experienced.

I am James, a native of Jericho. Jericho is an ancient city situated in the valley of Jordan. It is located about 17 miles east of Jerusalem.   

I am a builder by trade, which I learned from my father. I am usually very busy with my job, and therefore hardly find time for anything. Once, when my son fell ill, I pledged that I would visit the temple at Jerusalem. To fulfill my promise, I found time to make a trip to that city. I started off early in the morning to reach there by dusk. I had the opportunity to see the temple and offer my sacrifices. Early in the morning on the third day, I set off to return home. Although my onward journey had been safe, I was not so lucky on my return trip. The desert road between Jerusalem and Jericho was a notorious route for bandits. About an hour after I departed from the city something terrible befell on me.

A group of bandits pounced upon me seemingly from nowhere, and before I knew it, they seized my belongings, and stabbed me with their knives. After throwing me into a ditch at the side of the road, they all vanished just quickly as they had appeared. It all happened in a matter of seconds. The excruciating pain of the injury made me unconscious, and I'm unaware how long I lay there bleeding. 

I heard the footsteps of a passerby, which regained my consciousness. With much strain, I opened my eyes and got a glimpse of the traveler—a priest of the Jerusalem temple. A messenger from God, I thought. But the sound of the receding footsteps deflated my hopes. Either he must have mistaken that I was no more alive, or did not wish to make himself impure by touching a corpse, or must have been scared off by the sight of me lying in a pool of blood. I slipped back into oblivion. Time rolled on, but once again I had a brief spell of consciousness, when I heard someone approaching. This time it was a Levite; someone belonging to the tribe that was devoted to religion. My hopes sprouted again to wither away in seconds. He passed by without stopping to help me. I am still unable to find the reason for his indifference. I then passed out again. 

When I gained consciousness a third time I discovered that I was lying on a bed in an inn. The innkeeper was happy to see me awake. “We were worried about you,” he said.  

His wife brought me a cup of water and a bowl of hot soup. “It seems you've lost a lot of blood,” she said.  

I could revive everything that happened as if in a drama. It is a miracle that I'm alive, I thought.  “How did I get here?” I asked.  

“A kind man brought you here,” she said. “But we will tell you everything in detail later. Now what you need is more rest. Sleep peacefully. You are safe here.”  

She was right. I needed rest, and I gratefully went back to sleep.  

I don’t remember how long I slept. But when I awoke, I felt better. The innkeeper and his wife gave me food to eat. They also gave me clothes to wear. When I mustered health and vigor to talk, they inquired about what had happened, and I narrated everything in detail. 

Upon hearing about the priest and the Levite, both the innkeeper and his wife looked at each other and exclaimed, “What an irony!”  Then the innkeeper turned to me and said, “A third man came. He was not even an Israelite. He was a Samaritan! He is the one who saved your life!”  

“Oh my God,” I exclaimed. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. “I was saved by a Samaritan!” I repeated.  

The innkeeper continued, “He saw you lying there, bleeding. Immediately he tore off his own clothes; tied your wounds, put you upon his own donkey, and brought you here. He paid for your expenses. Then he also offered to pay more on his return trip in case we have to spend more than what he had already paid us. He is a traveling salesperson.” 

I sat there dumbfounded; unable to express the multitude of feelings and thoughts that rushed to my mind. Usually the Israelites looked down upon the Samaritans. Some among us thanked God for not creating us as Samaritans or dogs. I had expected a Jewish priest or a Levite to save me. But a Samaritan would have been the last person that I would ever have expected to do so. I felt that the Samaritans hated us for treating them like street dogs. But it seems this Samaritan did not have any ill feeling towards us. It seems that he took it as an opportunity to help and to save a fellow human being. He didn’t bother about my caste or creed.  

When I said goodbye to the innkeeper and his wife, I said, “I owe my life to this Samaritan. I am alive today because of the kindness of this man. He has saved not only my life, but he has also saved me from the slavery of racial prejudice. I have learned a great lesson. I need to respect all people as human beings regardless of their race, color, caste, gender, or nationality. Please convey to him that I do not know how to express my gratitude."  I also told them that I would be greatly honored if he would visit my home in Jericho if he ever got a chance.  

During my return trip home, I realized that my heart was filled with joy. I felt as if I was flying like a bird. I returned from Jerusalem as a renewed person. God had taught me a great lesson and had helped me to widen my heart to include the entire humanity.  

I bowed my head with respect before every human being that I saw on the way. There were Samaritans, children, women and poor people among them. They were all surprised to see me bowing before them with respect. I looked for opportunities to help those who were in need.  

When I got home, my family was extremely happy to see me. They had been worried for my safety. They saw the wounds upon my body, and they knew then that I had been attacked by bandits. They also noticed a sense of joy and peace upon my face, which they had not seen before. My wife and children began to shower me with questions.

It was hard for me to express the joy of my reunion with my family. I held my children close to me and said, “I was almost dead. But I am with you now because of the kindness of a Samaritan!” 

“A Samaritan!” they all cried aloud. That was against all of their expectations. They wanted to listen all that had happened. I withheld nothing.  

At last, I said to my children, “Listen carefully. I want to tell you something very important. You all have got your father back because of that good man. What would you give him in return?” 

When they looked at each other, I continued, “I want you all to treat and respect all human beings with respect and kindness just as that man has done to me. Never look down upon anyone. Always look for opportunities to help anyone in need.  Whenever you see a Samaritan, remember the good Samaritan who saved your father’s life.”  

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