Jesus battled prejudice

Reflection

The Samaritans were a people who lived not far from where Jesus was raised in Nazareth. They were the object of prejudice by Jews who worships in Jerusalem.  This prejudice was 700 years old. 

Around 700 years before Jesus a warring people from present day Iraq, they were called Assyrians, captured the district of Samaria and took many of the people off as slaves.  Then they took slaves from other places they had conquered and settled them with the remaining Jews. The foreigners and Jews intermarried.

When the captive Jews returned home from Assyria, they were upset with the people of Samaria.  They had mixed with the enemy.  They weren’t pure.  They were heretics.  This began a prejudice that continued for 700 years.  So we can understand how hard it was for Jews to hear Jesus making a hero out of a Samaritan over a priest and Levite.

Jesus opposed prejudice.  We are called to follow his direction and try to eradicate all prejudice from our lives.

Scripture

Luke
Chapter: 10

The Good Samaritan

 
²⁵An expert in the Law of Moses stood up and asked Jesus a question to see what he would say. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to have eternal life?" 
²⁶Jesus answered, "What is written in the Scriptures? How do you understand them?" 
²⁷The man replied, "The Scriptures say, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.' They also say, 'Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself.' “
²⁸Jesus said, "You have given the right answer. If you do this, you will have eternal life." 
²⁹But the man wanted to show that he knew what he was talking about. So he asked Jesus, "Who are my neighbors?" 
³⁰Jesus replied:

As a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, robbers attacked him and grabbed everything he had. They beat him up and ran off, leaving him half dead.
³¹A priest happened to be going down the same road. But when he saw the man, he walked by on the other side.   ³²Later a temple helperⁱ came to the same place. But when he saw the man who had been beaten up, he also went by on the other side.
³³A man from Samaria then came traveling along that road. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him   ³⁴and went over to him. He treated his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.  ³⁵The next morning he gave the innkeeper two silver coins and said, "Please take care of the man. If you spend more than this on him, I will pay you when I return."

³⁶Then Jesus asked, "Which one of these three people was a real neighbor to the man who was beaten up by robbers?" 
³⁷The teacher answered, "The one who showed pity."
Jesus said, "Go and do the same!" 

Prayer

Lord, when I’m quiet and honest with myself, I have to admit that there are many people to whom I have feelings of prejudice.  Help me, Lord, to risk respecting and getting to know these people. Help me to remember that you have created us all.  You love us all.  Give me some of your view.  Amen