Jesus is the one who has freed us from the realities of sin and death. It is Jesus who left us with the gift that is the Church.
This parable presents us with the figure of the Good Samaritan who stopped to assist the man who was robbed. The Good Samaritan is Jesus who lifts us out of sin and restores us to life. We notice that two individuals walk by and they do nothing for this man. They represent the priests and ministers of the Old Testament who were incapable of lifting a person out of sin. Instead God took on our human flesh and came to dwell among us. It was He who came in order that we could be cured from this reality.
The man is then brought into an inn and left with the innkeeper. The Good Samaritan even goes as far as to say, “Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.”
This is a profound expression of love because the Good Samaritan went above and beyond what was needed of him. He found this man who had been passed over on the side of the road, bandaged him, and then went so far that he made sure that all of his needs would be met.
The inn represents the Church to which we are each entrusted in order that we may run the race towards eternal life. One must be baptized, united to the Body of Christ, and carried like the lost sheep on the shoulders of the Good Shepherd. Therefore, the Good Samaritan lifts this man from his sin, is united unto him, and is brought into the inn of the Church by Him.
The innkeeper plays a crucial role in this parable. He was entrusted with this sum of money in order that he would continue to nurture this man who was in need. He would look over him, feed him, give him drink, give him lodging, and eventually the man would be restored to health.
As Pope Francis had stated, “Now, who is this innkeeper? It is the Church, the Christian community; it is we to whom every day the Lord Jesus entrusts those who are afflicted, in body and spirit, so that we continue to pour on them, without measure, all his mercy and salvation.”
In this scenario the inn becomes a hospital which nurtures this man back to his proper health for the Church does precisely this. Hotels attempt to sell us upon luxury, but this innkeeper was concerned with the healing of this man. He took upon himself this one who had been entrusted to his care.
As the church there is a need for us to be concerned with the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. It is these works that provide for the true needs of human flourishing. These needs are not the luxuries of life, but are those things which are needed for we have been created in the image and the likeness of God.
Let us stay united to Christ and His Church on this earth. Let us be willing to perform the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. For by doing so we remain united to Christ the Good Shepherd.
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