Strange priests: a reflection for Day 5 of Lent

 

"Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10.36-37)

     Jesus and the disciples continue to journey towards Jerusalem.  Jesus’ mission was, simply put, the kingdom of God.  And yet, Jesus’ vision of the kingdom didn’t square with any of the other visions on offer.  Jesus’ vision was one of compassion and mercy, of peace and wholeness (= “shalom”).  Through Jesus, the kingdom of God was indeed present (cf. Lk. 11.20, 17.20-21), albeit subtly (Lk. 13.18-21).  Only those with “healthy eyes” could see it (Lk. 11.33-36).

     In Luke chapter 10, we find a whimsical exchange between a “scribe” and Jesus.  This expert in the law of Moses wants to “test” Jesus, i.e. to put him on the spot and see whether he knows his stuff.  The scribe asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life (i.e. the life of the kingdom, the life of the Age to Come)?” (Lk. 10.25; cf. 18.18, 28-30).  Jesus has been teaching about the kingdom of God, so this “expert” wants to see if he and Jesus are on the same wave-length.  Jesus turns the tables on his interrogator and asks him, “What is written in the law?”  In other words, “You’re the legal expert.  You tell me.”  The scribe replies by quoting from the Shema prayer which prescribes love for God and neighbour (cf. Dt. 6.4-5; Lev. 19.18), which Jesus elsewhere calls “the greatest commandment” (Mt. 22.36).  Jesus responds by telling him that he has given the right answer.  This scribe already knows the way to “life” (cf. Dt. 30.15-20).  However, in the hope of scoring a point (and perhaps of saving face), the scribe asks a back-up question: “Who is my neighbour?”  In other words, who is worthy of my love? (Lk. 10.29).  Before considering Jesus’ response to this second question, let’s look at some features of his kingdom-mission.

     Jesus has been teaching, exorcising evil spirits, healing people of various diseases and forgiving sins (cf. Lk. 5.1-3, 12-26; 6.6-11, 17-19; 7.1-10, 18-23, 36-50).  Jesus has also empowered his disciples to collaborate with him in his mission of healing (Lk. 9.1-6; 10.1-9).  Those who are in the habit of reading the Bible often think that it was somehow “normal” that Jesus and the disciples should have gone around doing these activities.  Surely, these were simply “Jesus-things”?  However, teaching, healing and forgiveness were part of the job description of priests and Levites, who were stationed at the temple in Jerusalem (cf. Lev. 13.1-59; Dt. 24.8).  Sometimes, when Jesus healed people, he instructed them to have their cure verified by a priest (Lk. 17.12-14; cf. Lev. 13).  In the case of the (single) leper whom Jesus sends to the temple (Lk. 5.14), Jesus tells him that his healing will serve as a “testimony” to the Jerusalem priesthood.  Jesus is behaving as if all the benefits usually expected from the Temple are available wherever he is.  Jesus is conducting a “priestly” ministry far from Jerusalem and is thus launching a critique of the priesthood, which he seems to think is corrupt and self-serving and ripe for judgement (cf. Ez. 34; Lk. 19.45-46; 11.45-52; 20.45-47).

     Let’s now consider Jesus’ reply to the scribe’s question as to who his neighbour is (Lk. 10.29).  Jesus responds by telling the story of “the good Samaritan” (10.30-35).  The Samaritan is the third character to happen upon the Jewish man who was beaten, robbed and left to die by the roadside.  The first is a priest, and the second is a Levite!  Upon seeing the wounded man, they both “pass by on the other side”.  However, the Samaritan has compassion on the dying man and goes through great pains to ensure his safety and recovery.  Not only is Jesus critiquing the Temple establishment with this story, but he portrays a Samaritan – someone considered to be an enemy, an inferior (cf. Lk. 9.51-55) – as showing “love of neighbour” to the wounded Jew.  After telling the story, Jesus turns to the scribe and asks, “Who was a neighbour to the wounded man?”  Response: “The one who showed him mercy” (Lk. 10.37; cf. Mt. 9.13; 12.7).  

     Among the many conclusions that one can draw from this exchange between Jesus and the scribe is that “eternal life” is available even to Samaritans who act with mercy (cf. Micah 6.8).  Jesus could have also asked, “Which of the three characters in the story behaved like a priest (should)?”  Through his actions and words, Jesus is undermining the authority of the Jerusalem Temple-establishment and expanding the scope of God’s reign.  The kingdom of God is not the exclusive preserve of those who pride themselves on being “children of Abraham” (cf. Lk. 3.7-9; 4.16-30; 13.22-30); rather, the life of the Age to Come is available to all who love God with all their heart, soul, strength and mind, and their neighbour as themselves.  May God grant us the grace to remain open to the surprises of his kingdom.  Amen.