Posted by:
The Man in Black
(
)
Date: January 17, 2011 08:42AM
For reasons I'd rather not go into detail about, I still attend Church. Today's lesson was the Good Samaritan. I very nearly accidentally outed myself when I corrected the person giving the lesson.
The Gospel Doctrine teacher was reading the following parable of the Good Samaritan (skip the next paragraph if you already know it):
"A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said to him, 'Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.' Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?"
He said, "He who showed mercy on him."
The Gospel Doctrine teacher elaborates, "Who is who is this story?" (No response).
"Ok I'll help you," he says. The beaten man represents Christ. The people who passed him by represents the world. The world today ignores Christ and leaves him for dead. Of course we do not. We teach of Christ. We hope in Christ."
Lots of nodding.
He goes on, "Who are we in this story?" (more silence). We, brothers and sisters, are the innkeeper. It is our duty to take Christ in. We play the role of the innkeeper when we accept the Gospel into our lives."
He then goes of on a tangent about the nativity story and there being no room at the inn.
He concludes with, "who was the Samaritan?" This time a hand goes up.
"Yes?" He calls on the woman whose hand is up.
"The Samaritan is all who accept the truth of the Gospel."
"Correct!" He replies.
This is the part where I very nearly out myself. I raise my hand and say, "Actually, I think this kind of overlooks what this parable is about." All eyes turn toward me.
I continue, "Yes, I think that Christ is making a different point entirely."
"What do you mean brother Black."
"Christ was not establishing a church. He was criticizing one. In fact what he was saying was probably quite offensive to most who heard it."
"I don't think it would have been offensive. He was just encouraging people to come to him," replies our now somewhat confused teacher.
"Yes, you're right, he was. All people. I think this parable would have been offensive to the Jews and their leaders. Allow me to retell this story as it would have sounded to a Jew at the time."
I read and change a few words. "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. By chance the Bishop was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way an Elder's Quorum President also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain non-member, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out his credit card, and gave them to the host, and said to him, 'Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.' Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?"
A few in the room look shocked, but some are nodding in agreement.
I continue, "I think the point Christ was making in this parable was this; your title doesn't mean anything. I think what the parable was saying is that religion has less to do with what your social status is, and a lot more to do with how you treat those around you. I think Christ was saying that righteousness isn't defined by rank or title. It's defined by action."
Several nods. Some glares.
I stopped short of saying, "what Christ is saying was the Samaritan, the non-member, the unclean one, the one outside of the covenant, was a better neighbor than the high-ranking people within it."
I think a few inferred that part anyway. What is surprising is how many agree with me.
I make no claim that what I said today was an original idea by me. I'm sure it wasn't. I seem to recall reading it somewhere. In fact, that's probably why I was able to say it.
If I keep this up (and continue to drink coffee in public), a future post will no doubt be my exit story. Perhaps I can take a few with me.