A Stranger on the Road

Chapter Two of the Encyclical Letter titled – Fratelli Tutti by Pope Francis is titled:  A Stranger on the Road.  This chapter provides insight on an important parable told by Jesus more than two thousand years ago.  The parable is the story of the Good Samaritan and can be found in the Gospel of Luke.  Pope Francis also makes it clear that this Encyclical Letter is not just for Catholics but is “addressed to all people of good will, regardless of their religious convictions.”  This parable as Pope Francis indicates, “is one that any of us can relate to and find challenging.” 

Important Questions

Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan as a response to two questions posed by a lawyer.  The first question is, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”  Jesus responds with the two greatest commandments to “love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength,” and to “love your neighbor as yourself.”  The lawyer then asks, “Who is my neighbor?”  In this parable, Jesus speaks of two religious men who pass by the victim.  However, it is the outsider, the Samaritan, in this parable that provides the care needed.  Jesus then asks the lawyer, “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”  The lawyer answers correctly noting that mercy was shown by the Samaritan.  However, he does not mention the Samaritan by name, he simply says, “the one who showed him mercy.”  If the priest or the Levite showed mercy toward the victim, perhaps the lawyer would have easily given credit to each in his response.  But he does not do that with the Samaritan.  There seems to be an underlying prejudice that exists in the heart of the lawyer that is recognized by Jesus.  Jesus then challenges the lawyer to “go and do likewise.”  Did the lawyer wonder why in Jesus’ story the Samaritan is the good guy?  Did he cringe thinking that he needed to act as a Samaritan rather than a priest or Levite to inherit eternal life?

In this Encyclical Letter, Pope Francis addresses the question – “Who is my neighbor?” and takes us to the beginning of scripture when God asks Cain the whereabouts of his brother Abel.  Cain had just killed his brother Abel when God asked this question.  God knew what Cain had done.  In response to this question, Cain says, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  Through the details of this scripture story, we begin to understand the love God has for all people.  We are all His creation, and He loves each of us.  Saint Irenaeus is quoted in this letter and provides insight as he uses the notes in music to further explain God’s love for His creation.  “One who seeks the truth should not concentrate on the differences between one note and another, thinking as if each was created separately and apart from the others; instead, he should realize that one and the same person composed the entire melody.”  We are connected to each other because God is the creator of us all.  There is an ancient commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself.”  According to Rabbi Hillel, “This is the entire Torah.  Everything else is commentary.”  In addition to sharing the words of Rabbi Hillel, this Encyclical Letter also points to several Old Testament scriptures that challenges Israel to embrace the foreigner and stranger reminding them that they too were strangers in a foreign land during their time in Egypt.  This same “fraternal love” is reiterated throughout the New Testament.  Christians in the New Testament are encouraged to welcome all Christians “even though they are strangers to you.”  We are also reminded that Christianity is a choice that is made available to all of creation.  Our commission is to share Christ with others.  We do this by recognizing that we are all musical notes in the same melody created by God.  This allows us to fulfil our commission and evangelize to others. 

Spiritual Exercises

A very direct and incisive question is asked in this Encyclical Letter regarding the parable of the Good Samaritan.  The question is, “Which of these persons do you identify with?”  In other words, are you the priest or the Levite that passes by the victim or are you the Samaritan that provides the help that is needed?  As I read this question, I am reminded of the Spiritual Exercises provided by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits.  Pope Francis is a Jesuit and knows the importance of placing yourself in the scripture to better understand what Jesus is teaching.  If this question were asked of me before knowing how the story ended, I would choose the role of the priest or the Levite.  But knowing the ending of the parable challenges me to consider the role of the Samaritan, an outsider, the only one who did the right thing.  It is certainly a disappointment in the expectations of the role of the priest and the Levite.  However, even though I know the story’s ending, the challenge to place myself in the role of the priest or the Levite uncovers personal shortcomings that must be addressed to move closer to God.  Sometimes I allow fear and prejudice to stand in the way of responding like the Good Samaritan.  It is the change of heart, the turning toward the ways of the Good Samaritan that is important.  We may not be the ones to bandage the wounds, but we could be the one who makes the phone call for help.  There are so many things the Samaritan did.  He provided direct help, he delegated support from the innkeeper, he followed up and provided financial support to ensure the injured man was cared for properly.  All these qualities are noted by Pope Francis in this Encyclical Letter. 

Two other characters

There are two other characters in this parable to consider.  The first is the robbers and the second is the victim.  The parable begins after the robbery has taken place; however, Pope Francis points out that robbers usually find “secret allies in those who pass by and look the other way.”  He also states that “there is a certain interplay between those who manipulate and cheat society, and those who, while claiming to be detached and impartial critics, live off that system and its benefits.”  There are so many aspects of this story to consider.

The last character to examine is the victim.  As I place myself in the shoes of the victim, I ask myself if it would matter who was helping.  Did the victim in this story recognize the helper as a Samaritan?  If so, did it matter to him?  I recall an incident when I fell on a hike in a national park and broke my wrist.  Several people stopped to help.  Not once did I care about their credentials.  I considered them to be angels sent from God to help me.  Perhaps the victim in this story felt the same way. 

There is much more beautiful insight in this Chapter titled: A Stranger on the Road.  I encourage each of you to read it in its entirety.  Click here for the full document of the Fratelli Tutti and stay tuned for my next article that will focus on Chapter 3 of this important document.