Lectionary Scripture Luke 10:25–37 (NRSV)
Just then 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 replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead.
Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.' Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" He [the lawyer] said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
“Go and Do Likewise”
Jews in Jesus time incurred a status of being unclean if they came into contact with a dead body. It was considered, and still is by some, the ultimate impurity. If I have it correct, cleansing involved a person being sprinkled with the ashes of the red heifer. The rarity of such an animal (and perhaps the expense of its ashes) could have meant that a priest or Levite might never return to their religious duties or responsibilities. So checking to see if a seemingly dead person was truly a corpse represented too great a risk to one’s livelihood and social standing. Thankfully Judaism and most other faith traditions have largely moved on from such thinking. It doesn’t mean however that we don’t get squeamish around seeing a dead body or coming into contact with one. What it does mean is that we extend generosity like that of a Samaritan when the situation calls for it.
For me, this occurred some years ago while serving as pastor for a congregation in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Our family had come into friendship with another young family. They were not members of our Canadian church family but they seemed drawn to us and the life of faith we lived. I believe they even came to church with us a time or two. Not long into our association, the wife and mother in this family discovered that she had colon cancer. Determined to fight it and be around to see her two kids grow up, she bravely engaged in every chemotherapy and radiation treatment she could. For my part, I would make visits to see her in the hospital during those treatments and had opportunity to meet her parents and some of the extended family, most of whom described themselves as lapsed Catholics.
Eventually however the cancer won out and early one morning her husband called me from the hospital just down the street from our home. He met me outside on the sidewalk and hugged me so tightly as waves of grief and sobbing consumed him without stop. I don’t know how long we stood there but in some ways it seemed an eternity. Time had stopped and with it Mary had stopped. All I could think was, “Mary, why you, why your family?” Eventually I said to her husband that we should go in and be with Mary and the rest of the family. On arriving to the room, Mary was lifeless. The nurses informed me they would need Mary’s body quite soon in order to obtain her corneas for transplant.
As the priest on the scene, I sensed from the grieving family members that they needed me to do something in order that they could have closure in the moment and then leave the hospital room. Knowing that something akin to last rites would have the most meaning for them I searched my heart in terms of sacramental options out of my own tradition. Just the previous day, the family had witnessed me engage in anointing Mary with consecrated oil and then laying hands on her head to pray. They saw this ritual providing peace and comfort to Mary. Despite the sacrament’s intent for the living, I felt led in the moment to offer it for the dead, though one could say it obviously blessed all the living now in that hospital room. Anointing Mary’s forehead, I gave thanks for her life, thanks for her valiant struggle, thanks for all who loved her and cared for her throughout her life, and thanks for all whom she had loved and cared for in return. I then gave thanks for her generosity and the choices she had made to bless and benefit others through the gifts that would now come from her earthly body even as she was assuming her heavenly one. All I can say of that experience is that Christ’s Spirit and Christ’s Peace filled the room blessing every one present with the calmness and love needed for the days ahead.
I have shared the above story with precious few in my faith tradition primarily because some legalistic individuals will consider my use of anointing and laying on of hands in the situation as sacrilege -- sacrilege because I provided it to a lifeless body that no longer possessed a living soul. If that’s the case for you I apologize for my offense, but know this, I have no regrets. I did in the moment what I felt I should do. As a result lives were blessed and understanding of “neighbor” enlarged. If you disagree, feel free to tell me which was the greater mercy -- to have or have not provided the ministry I was led to offer.
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