Parable of the Good Samaritan
who is our neighbor?
율법전문가는 예수를 시험해서 꼬투리를 잡고자 어떻게 하면 영생을 얻느냐고 질문한다. 예수는 율법에 기록된 그대로를 읽으라고 말했다.
“네 마음을 다하고 뜻을 다하여 주 너희 하나님을 사랑하고, 이웃을 네 몸과 같이 사랑하라”는 말씀이었다.
그러자 다시 예수를 시험하며 묻는다. 그렇다면 누가 우리의 이웃이냐고?
당시 이스라엘의 종교지도자들은 예수가 자신들과 같이 흠 없는 이스라엘의 유대인이 아닌 세리, 창기, 귀머거리, 소경, 저는 자, 귀신 들린 자, 구걸하는 자, 가난한 자, 이방인의 피가 섞인 사마리아인, 이방인 외국인에게 애정을 갖고 관심으로 섬기는 것을 극히 싫어하고 혐오했다. 그의 질문하고 답을 기대했던 것은 그 이웃이 이스라엘의 유대인으로만 국한되기를 원했을 것이다. 그러나 예수가 생각하는 이웃은 국가와 민족을 뛰어넘는 모든 인간에 대한 넓은 범주였다.
1914년 1차 세계대전 중에 전쟁터에서 서로 싸우고 죽이며 대치하고 있던 독일군과 영국군은 12월의 크리스마스를 맞이하게 된다. “silent night holy night” 1800년대에 독일어로 만들어진 찬양이 독일군벙커에서 울려 퍼지자, 맞은편 전선에 있던 영국군도 이 아름다운 하모니에 이끌려 독일 진지로 향했다. 총 칼과 대포를 내려놓고 아기예수의 탄생을 축하하는 예배의 자리에 함께 모여든 것이다.
마틴 루터의 후예들인 독일의 그리스도인과 프로테스탄트와 앵글리칸의 영국 그리스도인들이 제국주의의 팽창이란 미명하에 이웃을 적으로 만드는 국가애국주의의 한계를 뛰어넘어 하나님의 자녀로 하나 된 순간을 맞이한 것이다. 평화의 주로 오신 예수.
하나님 나라의 자녀로 산다는 것은 때로는 국가의 한계와 테두리를 벗어나야 한다는 사실을 깨닫는 순간 이들은 다시 상대를 향해 총을 겨눌 수가 없었다. 세계시민의 가치와 하나님 나라에 속한 그리스도인들이 가져야 할 이웃에 대한 개념을 생각해보고자 했다.
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Luke 10
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.
This parable is Jesus’s answer to the expert of Lawer’s question. His asking is a kind of testing. He wants to find fault in Jesus’s mistaking or misunderstanding of the bible. He asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus replied, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He answers,” love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind, and love your neighbor.” Then the lawer asks Jesus, “Who is our neighbor?” His intention is obvious: he wants to limit only looking good, believing persons like high priests, leader clergy, pure Jews, and Israelis. At that time, Israeli leaders didn’t like Jesus keeping quaint with the sinners like tax collectors, prostitutes, baggers, the lame, the blind, and foreigners. That’s why he wants to restrict to his neighbors, Just Israel Jews without fault.
So, Jesus says a parable. A man travels to the big city of Jerico with a pack and luggage. All of a sudden, robbers attack him at the corner without a person. They beat him down and deprived him of his wallet, clothes, and all his luggage. A man was beaten so severely that he bled and lay down almost to die.
At that moment, a priest, the holy pastor, sees that guy bleeding and lying on the ground. He is the religious leader and preacher who tells the believers to love each other every Sunday, but ironically, he looks away and escapes the other way. Maybe he makes an excuse, "I don’t have to make dirty clothes 'cause I have to worship God, Holly."
Next, Levite sees the bleeding guy lying on Conor Road. He may be surprised to see that seen. This time, he passed by the other side. Do you know who the Leviticus is?
Leviticus’ primary role is to instruct Israel on how to maintain holiness within the community so that the Lord would continue to dwell among them. That person also turns away the needed helped person.
Finally, someone notices that the dying person. He took pity on him. He raises him up, cleaning bleed, bandaging his wounds.
Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
Wow! A Samaritan shows fantastic love to a do-not-know person. Who is Samarian? Samaria is located in the middle of Israel, which once belonged to Isreale when Israel divided Juda and Israel. Siria foreign nations captured Samarian people, then mixed blood with the outside countries. So Jews Israel disgusted these Samarians, not pure bleed. Israel treated them like a bug, enemies, sinners, and betrayers. If Israeli people have to go to the upper part, they detour and go around, trying not to pass this corrupted area. But surprisingly, the very hated Samarian would instead help to the dangerous situation person. He accepts the need to help people as neighbors. After this parable, Jesus asks the lawer.
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
In 1914, a historical event happened during the First World War. Germany and the UK were confronted on the battlefield, and they tried to kill each other to gain more imperial power.
The imperial country wanted to increase its territory in Asia and Africa.
That is why they conflict and make war. Young men are called to assemble to defend their land and invade the enemy country.
In the field, they face to face to fire guns and cannons and pierce with a dagger.
Every day, they killed enemy each other and lost their close fellows.
One day around December 24, Christmas time. German soldiers celebrate the little baby Jesus’s birth, so They sing the song “Silent night, holy night” in a bunker. Which worship songs were made by the German language in the 1800th.
This choir hymn spread to across the UK soldier's bunker. When UK soldiers listened to such excellent peaceful harmony, they left down their guns with a white flag meaning peace sign and walked to the German site. They just want to sing and worship Jesus Christ's birth together. They are the same Christians who are beloved children by God. They embraced each other, gave some bread, water, and soda, and enjoyed the coming peace. They sing "Silent Night Holly Night" together as brothers and believers.
After they spend Christmas night worshiping God and praying together, they can’t kill each other. They discover that even though they are people from different countries, in God’s point of view, they are identical brothers and sisters in this world. Heavenly God’s citizen. If we are Christian, we can be a peacemaker.
Micah 4:3 They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
We have to remember our identity. We belong to Rwanda, Korea, Germany, the UK, etc. The country sometimes asks us for national patriotism and demands us to kill our opponent, a neighboring country. Europeans experienced the First and Second World Wars caused by one nation's imperialism.
Now, we have to keep God's point of view in mind. As a broadened worldview Christian, we have to choose which way is better and good. We must increase our neighbor's categories and be peacemakers in this world.
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I want to sing "Silent Night and holly night" together to bring peace to Gaza, Israel, and for a conflict place.
표지 :I llustrated_London_News_-_Christmas_Truce_1914
