Dear friends in Christ,

Last week, we heard that Jesus was rejected by a Samaritan town, and this week, we hear the Parable of the “Good Samaritan.” I feel that some of the punch of this parable might be lost on us if we don’t understand at least a little the hatred that Jews and Samaritans had for each other.

After King David’s son Solomon took over as the ruler of a united Israel, it wasn’t long before his unfaithfulness to God led to a split in the kingdom. Around 930 BC, this fracture led to the establishment of the large Northern kingdom whose capital was Samaria and the small Southern kingdom whose capital remained Jerusalem. The magnificent temple was where all sacrifices and ritual services were performed. The distance between Samria and Jerusalem was a little less than the distance between Baltimore and D.C. It was a family breakup, and all were children of Israel, but over time, this political separation eventually became a cultural one as well. The Samaritans question why they must go to Jerusalem to worship and establish a temple on Mount Gerizim. They also discount most of the Old Testament besides the first five books of the Bible.

In around 722 BC, the mighty Assyrians conquer the Northern kingdom and send the Jews living in Samaria and throughout into exile. The Southern kingdom is spared this defeat, but in 587 BC, the Babylonians destroy everything including the South and all are in exile. Eventually, the Jews return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, and lo and behold, they discover people living in the area. They assume after their hard and torturous exile that these Samaritans who remained must have been Jews who were traitors aligning and supporting foreign powers, or maybe they were cowards who ran away during the struggle and had avoided the bitter exile. They were considered foreigners and were cut off and ostracized by those who came to restore Jerusalem and the faith. You know what happens when people are treated as less than second class and maligned as cowards, foreigners, and traitors? Divisions and hatred harden, and persecution and violence on both sides erupt. It is into this context that Jesus enters in to preach His Parable. We must also remember that this hatred and mistrust go back more than 500 years. Can you imagine? For a faithful Jew, the concept or idea of a “Good Samaritan” was impossible to even conceive.

Jesus ushers in a new way of thinking about life, others, and religion. Christianity is a truly universal religion that cuts through ancient hatreds. It is not based on geography or politics, but on a person – the incarnate Son of God who desires a loving relationship with all people, regardless of what language they speak, what they have done, or where they are from originally. The best way to see this is to read John 4:1-42, which is the story of the Samaritan woman. God bless!

Love and peace,

Fr. Matt
 

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Are you someone or do you know someone who

• Has expressed an interest in becoming Catholic?
• Was baptized Catholic as a child, but has not become a full member of the Church through the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist?
• Baptized into another religion but never received any formal religious education.

At Saint Matthew, we offer an opportunity to come together in person to learn more about our faith journey.  The sessions focus on the experience and teachings of the Church, personal prayer, and deepening our personal relationship with the Lord.  This process is called The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (R.C.I.A).  I look forward to hearing from you soon.  Don’t delay!  Call Sr. Andre at 850-207-4679.  The sessions will begin in September!
 

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