Who is a "Good Samaritan" today? This question follows the original question that was posed over 2000 years ago by a religious lawyer to a wise Jewish teacher who lived in a region undergoing political and religious turmoil at that time. The original question was in the form of "who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:29). It was a theological question posed to a religious teacher, Jesus, a Jew of humble birth, born in the region that today continues to heave with religious turmoil and political unrest. The question was asked to determine who exactly qualifies as one of equality in faith; who is a member of the Kehilah (congregation).
The answer given by that Jewish teacher 2000 years ago to a fellow Jew who would have been considered highly educated in his time was a political and religious response. The response was that the perceived enemy was indeed neighbor in both political and religious terms. This ancient text which is well known due to the birth of one of the largest religious bodies in the world, Christianity, describes a situation not so unlike today. Area terrorism and theft is discussed in this text (verse 30). Religious disdain from within an individual religious body is discussed in this text (verses 31-32). The hero in this story is not the wise religious Jewish teacher, nor the intelligent Jewish lawyer, (nor the later Christian Byzantines who would kill Jew and Samaritan without hesitation) but an unlikely candidate who hailed from outside the respected Judean border, a Samaritan in the then foreign (as they considered the Samaritans as foreign Assyrian implants) "occupied territory" of Israel. As a Samaritan he would have considered only the first five books of the "Bible" - the Torah - as sacred, and not viewed Jerusalem, the Prophets, nor any writings after Torah as sacred. It was an amazing choice for the Jewish Jesus to choose a Samaritan as the hero in his story of who is a neighbor to the Jew, neighbor being one you love as your own soul and consider as spiritual brother, equal status by all covenant stipulations of the law.
The Samaritans at that time, 2000 years ago, were accused of conspiring with enemy forces against the Jews, and accused of intentionally interfering in sacred religious festivals to be held in Jerusalem, all fueled by the greatest accusation of all that it was due to their erroneous religious practices as asserted by the Jews of that time. A characteristic so unique to this text, is that the hero is not of the same religious party as the wise religious teacher telling the story, nor of the lawyer he told it to, nor of the same political party of either as well. The hero is noted for his actions of humanitarian and peaceful coexistence by recognizing other persons of different political and religious practice as deserving of compassion and fairness.
The Samaritans are the most ancient people living in the Middle East continuously. They have two communities that are currently flourishing in two very diverse locations, the main location and site of their sacred religious activities on Mount Gerizim in the West Bank of Palestinian territory is home to half of the community (members having both Palestinian and Israeli passports), and in addition holiday residences to the other half of the community who live in Holon, near Tel Aviv, Israel. The two communities are one people undivided, with close family relations in both communities. The majority of Samaritans speak both Arabic and Hebrew as mother tongues learned simultaneously. The Samaritans on Mount Gerizim generally finish their education in Nablus and often work there, whereas the Samaritans in Holon are schooled in Israeli schools and work in Israeli cities such as Holon, Tel Aviv, etc... The Samaritans have peaceful relations with the Palestinians and easily pass through checkpoints, shop in Nablus, socialize comfortably with those Palestinians with Islamic heritage, just as easily as they do in Israel by shopping, working and interacting comfortably among Israelis of Jewish heritage. The Samaritans today are unique in that they coexist in peace with Israelis and Palestinians respecting their political and religious differences. They maintain peaceful relationships through work interactions with Israelis and Palestinians, and ease of language. Samaritans are true to the character ascribed them 2000 years ago, "good" natured and friendly winning them to both sides easily. The Samaritans however are so few in number that they have not caught the attention of the political world who are generally unaware of their genuine friendships and interactions between Israelis and Palestinians, and the methods they have used to succeed. The Samaritans have the potential to serve in peace negotiations that could produce very promising results.
The Samaritans nearly vanished, dropping to a mere 150 souls in the 1920s when National Geographic in 1922 photographed them and wrote an article about the Samaritans and their ancient ways and uninterrupted life inside the Land of Israel for thousands of years. Their number has increased significantly to just over 700 from the time of that dire prediction. The Samaritans exemplify to this very day that of the ancient story of the "Good Samaritan" in a current religious and political crisis in the very same land, showing brotherhood and compassion to Jew and Muslim.
Who is a "Good Samaritan" today, along the same line of the original story?
Not once did the Good Samaritan as created in the mind of Jesus try to proselytize. Who proselytizes one of equal religious standing, a neighbor under covenant law to be loved and viewed as your own soul? Does one who loves the Most High with all heart, soul and strength and his neighbor as his own soul need to convert his neighbor? According to the story the answer is "no" because the neighbor is a covenant equal despite great political and religious differences.
The answer given by that Jewish teacher 2000 years ago to a fellow Jew who would have been considered highly educated in his time was a political and religious response. The response was that the perceived enemy was indeed neighbor in both political and religious terms. This ancient text which is well known due to the birth of one of the largest religious bodies in the world, Christianity, describes a situation not so unlike today. Area terrorism and theft is discussed in this text (verse 30). Religious disdain from within an individual religious body is discussed in this text (verses 31-32). The hero in this story is not the wise religious Jewish teacher, nor the intelligent Jewish lawyer, (nor the later Christian Byzantines who would kill Jew and Samaritan without hesitation) but an unlikely candidate who hailed from outside the respected Judean border, a Samaritan in the then foreign (as they considered the Samaritans as foreign Assyrian implants) "occupied territory" of Israel. As a Samaritan he would have considered only the first five books of the "Bible" - the Torah - as sacred, and not viewed Jerusalem, the Prophets, nor any writings after Torah as sacred. It was an amazing choice for the Jewish Jesus to choose a Samaritan as the hero in his story of who is a neighbor to the Jew, neighbor being one you love as your own soul and consider as spiritual brother, equal status by all covenant stipulations of the law.
The Samaritans at that time, 2000 years ago, were accused of conspiring with enemy forces against the Jews, and accused of intentionally interfering in sacred religious festivals to be held in Jerusalem, all fueled by the greatest accusation of all that it was due to their erroneous religious practices as asserted by the Jews of that time. A characteristic so unique to this text, is that the hero is not of the same religious party as the wise religious teacher telling the story, nor of the lawyer he told it to, nor of the same political party of either as well. The hero is noted for his actions of humanitarian and peaceful coexistence by recognizing other persons of different political and religious practice as deserving of compassion and fairness.
The Samaritans are the most ancient people living in the Middle East continuously. They have two communities that are currently flourishing in two very diverse locations, the main location and site of their sacred religious activities on Mount Gerizim in the West Bank of Palestinian territory is home to half of the community (members having both Palestinian and Israeli passports), and in addition holiday residences to the other half of the community who live in Holon, near Tel Aviv, Israel. The two communities are one people undivided, with close family relations in both communities. The majority of Samaritans speak both Arabic and Hebrew as mother tongues learned simultaneously. The Samaritans on Mount Gerizim generally finish their education in Nablus and often work there, whereas the Samaritans in Holon are schooled in Israeli schools and work in Israeli cities such as Holon, Tel Aviv, etc... The Samaritans have peaceful relations with the Palestinians and easily pass through checkpoints, shop in Nablus, socialize comfortably with those Palestinians with Islamic heritage, just as easily as they do in Israel by shopping, working and interacting comfortably among Israelis of Jewish heritage. The Samaritans today are unique in that they coexist in peace with Israelis and Palestinians respecting their political and religious differences. They maintain peaceful relationships through work interactions with Israelis and Palestinians, and ease of language. Samaritans are true to the character ascribed them 2000 years ago, "good" natured and friendly winning them to both sides easily. The Samaritans however are so few in number that they have not caught the attention of the political world who are generally unaware of their genuine friendships and interactions between Israelis and Palestinians, and the methods they have used to succeed. The Samaritans have the potential to serve in peace negotiations that could produce very promising results.
The Samaritans nearly vanished, dropping to a mere 150 souls in the 1920s when National Geographic in 1922 photographed them and wrote an article about the Samaritans and their ancient ways and uninterrupted life inside the Land of Israel for thousands of years. Their number has increased significantly to just over 700 from the time of that dire prediction. The Samaritans exemplify to this very day that of the ancient story of the "Good Samaritan" in a current religious and political crisis in the very same land, showing brotherhood and compassion to Jew and Muslim.
Who is a "Good Samaritan" today, along the same line of the original story?
Not once did the Good Samaritan as created in the mind of Jesus try to proselytize. Who proselytizes one of equal religious standing, a neighbor under covenant law to be loved and viewed as your own soul? Does one who loves the Most High with all heart, soul and strength and his neighbor as his own soul need to convert his neighbor? According to the story the answer is "no" because the neighbor is a covenant equal despite great political and religious differences.