A CERTAIN MAN

The Bible is full of wondrous things some of which only become apparent with time. Have you ever read a passage and then reading it again after a time realized another aspect or dimensional quality? I’d like to offer an ancient perspective on a beloved parable we have all read and heard many sermons on Sundays past that might just have escaped notice. Blessed are the eyes that see.

The story of the Good Samaritan is about being a Good Sam, one who should help out his neighbor even when they are not like us, ethics, love, and of being a good steward. Is there anything else?

Prologue to the parable:
Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see. For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them ; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. And behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the Law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 

The Parable of the Good Samaritan
And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two shillings, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.  S. Luke 10. 23

Let us concern ourselves with who is being described as “Certain" and what we are being taught both literally and figuratively.

The Last Adam saves the First Adam and Eve.

Jesus picks words his carefully-- not any man, but a certain man; not just cities, but those that conveyed a message and it is so with each detail revealed. The certain man left the holy city of Jerusalem which is 2500’ above sea level and descended towards Jericho more than 800’ below sea level and outside of the safety of Jerusalem he fell among thieves. Do you suppose Jesus is illustrating something specific with these two cities? One is on high with a pleasant climate and the other down below, hostile and arid. Do  you see it? Jericho is the world and Jerusalem is the City of God.  And who first fell into the world producing such a sinful state? A world separate from God... a state brought onto all men by the disobedience of one. Was not Adam exiled from paradise because of sin and descended from eternal life into the lower world? If correct, Jesus would need to be making a point as we shall soon see.

This certain man falls among robbers who inflict mortal wounds. Because he turned away from God Adam has lost divine protection and is exposed to sin. His protection, his garment, which is his faith is easily torn away and his soul is wounded and near death. These robbers are the very same angel(s) of darkness (who can appear as an angel of light long enough to deceive) that stripped Adam of faith in Eden through temptation who seek to strip all men of their spiritual armor and inflict deadly wounds to prevent the journey back to the City of God.

Jesus uses the same word again- a “certain” Samaritan who descends (John 3:13) from the Holy City and come upon the injured man, and unlike the Levite and the priest, who are figures of the Law, has compassion on him. Christ is the "certain" Samaritan and the last Adam. Such a read is in harmony with the rest of scripture. The first Adam falls from grace, his race comes under the Law and the last Adam is a man of the Spirit who saves. We do not have space here to cover the whole economy of fall and salvation but you get the point. "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.. 1 Cor 15:45

The Samaritan (meaning defender) comes down to relieve (Psalm 116:6) and restore Adam and with him all of mankind to the City of God. The great Physician comes as a neighbor to share our suffering and bind up our wounds. His words are our medicine. “Speak the word only and my servant shall be healed” Matt 8:8. Words that forgive, heal, save, and warn us to prepare for coming judgment. We are defended from death.

The Samaritan puts the man on his own beast. We are raised up and borne with Adam. Our sins- our wounds are borne by the Samaritan and he suffers for them. He carries the lost sheep on His shoulders for otherwise we could not bear our own burdens for we are beasts to weak for the task.

We who are heavily laden are brought to an inn and given rest (Matt 11:28) from a long journey. Lifted up out of the dust and given care so that we may be become well enough to keep the precepts we are given. (Ps 113:7) The inn is the Church- the Ark of Salvation where we find help to overcome our wounds- our hospital for sinners. (Acts 2:47)

On the morrow, to use the language of the King James, he departs. The Samaritan was here for a season and then he returned from where he had come. What is the ‘morrow’ if not the Resurrection? This is the day which the Lord hath made (Ps. cxvii. 24)! The two Denarii are possibly the Old and New Testaments which carry the image of our Lord throughout and our guide back to the Holy City. The innkeeper is he that preaches the Gospel (1 Cor. 1:17). Those given the command to “Go ye into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved (Mk. 16:15-16). Saved from the robber’s attack and blows. The innkeeper is blessed with the gifts of healing and tends those in his care just as the Samaritan on the wayside.

I will repay thee. Blessed is he who gives freely as does God. Such a person no longer needs the law but lives by the Spirit and desires to be a good steward of God’s bounty. The Apostle Paul lived and preached far above that which he received in body and soul so that he could relieve others of their physical and spiritual sicknesses. The innkeeper of the inn is good and gives comfort and rest and protection from the ravenous wolves preying on weary travelers and earns blessings and gratitude of the Lord who promises payment on his return. When should He return but on the day of Judgment? How will He repay but with the reward of heaven! Well done, good and faithful servant; because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord (Matt 5:12; 25:21).

Who could be more our neighbor than the One who has healed our wounds? And who should we imitate but Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the Body and closest to it’s all it’s members? If we love the Lord, who is the head of the Body, we will love all his members with His same compassion. It is mercy that makes us neighbors and it is through mercy that the Last Adam comes down from heaven and suffers greatly to restore the first Adam and thus mankind to the Kingdom of God.

So there we are. In a short parable Jesus testifies to his authority as being the Last Adam by recounting the biblical narrative from fall through restoration and His place in it, all the while teaching a more basic lesson of unquestioning love of one's neighbor which is necessary for us to find our way back to the City of God.

I hope you enjoyed and gained something from this presentation. If you interested in going deeper into the scriptures please join us this Sunday at 9:30am at St. Athanasius Anglican Church.  We worship in a house, just as the early Church.

Peace of Christ,

John Dixon
Warden, St. Athanasius Parish

ps If you are wondering about Eve in all of this she is figured in the New Testament as well but that's a story for another day.

Source: Ambrose; On the Good Samaritan, 4th century

Our Christian Duty

One charism given the Church by the Holy Spirit is the office of teaching and that of course implies

there are students in need of knowledge (Job 36:3; Psa 119:66). To be a right student of the precepts of Christ and biblical doctrines, we should seek the wisdom of the ages imparted to the Church by the Spirit of God (John 14:26). As traditional Christians we look to the ancient Kalendar to guide us in this pursuit which is no mere accident: as God creates order so the Christian year is set up cyclically and systematically to teach basic doctrine unto salvation as we are taught to pray and teach unceasingly (Acts 5:42; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-28, etc.) to gain command of precepts, tradition, and doctrine (2 Thes 2:15;3:3; 1Cor. 11:2). In this way each person entering the church is assured a solid and consistent foundation in order to work out their salvation through knowledge, wisdom, and holiness, which are gained in repetition. (Heb 5:11-6:3).

So where are we in this systematic cycle of doctrine today? Briefly, we begin the Year with Advent- a season of preparation and anticipation; Christmas - a season of revelation; Epiphany - meditation; Lent sin and pardon; Ash Wednesday- repentance; Easter - resurrection and the Risen life; Ascension - ascension and waiting on the Church; Pentecost - the mission of the Church; Trinity Sunday – The Church Triumphant and the Vision of God; Sundays after Trinity (also referred to as "Common Time") - The Life of Holiness; The First Trinity Series – Christian Motive; and today, the sixth Sunday in Trinitytide is the first in five Sundays outlining our duties Godward and towards our fellow man.

Let's take a look at Christian Duty, we begin with the Epistle to the Romans Ch. 6 v. 3.-

KNOW ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Here we learn about grace through baptism is both the beginning of the risen life (Easter) and the basis of a life of duty. Our baptism brings us into union with Christ Jesus through grace and divine love and there our duty begins. Decades of neglect of many churches to teach duty towards baptism and grace can certainly be seen in today's cultural decline.

But Christ's death and resurrection extend themselves to the sacrament of Baptism, making it the means of a death unto sin and a new birth unto righteousness: and thus endowing Christians with a power to fulfil the requirements of His law which otherwise they could not possess. ~ John Henry Blunt

In this epistle Paul speaks to being baptism into and buried into His death while united with Him by the likeness of the same as well as our fallen nature dying with Him. We receive the benefits of His Passion - grace received, remission of sins, and share in all for he which he died just as if we were crucified with him. 

The power of Christ against sin becomes thus not only a power external to the soul, but an inward capacity, the practical use or disuse of which is at the will of those to whom it is given. ~ JHB

As such we have a duty of remaining dead to sin and we need to understand how, through grace, we are given the means of dying to sin and begin to walk in the newness of life.  The implication here is that in the power of His death we are to continually die to sin and by the power of His life we are to continually put on the new man.  We can reject duty and the gifts given to us at our baptism as we have free will. Many do reject covenants with God as we will see later in this post- the outcome is disastrous.

Now let's read today's Gospel, S. Matthew Ch. 5 beginning at verse 20.

JESUS said unto his disciples, Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgement. But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

The Christian Year begins with Advent.

Why do you suppose these scriptures are given together? Consider that our New Covenant reveals the love of God which one might consider to require less effort on the part of those baptized into this covenant. But that is not the case we see here.  In fact, by receiving this unbounding grace more is expected of us, a new standard, and the bar of duty has been raised. Even the esteemed Scribes and Pharisees are now brought low in comparison. 

"This day sets forth the principle that the obligation of the old law is heightened under the New Dispensation: as also that the stricter obligation of the new law is accompanied by a proportionate increase in the grace by which the duty of obedience to God may be fulfilled." ~ John Henry Blunt

It's not hard to see why. They do not know humility, they are self-satisfied, and they love the law more than the Lawmaker. Their arrogance and self absorption is a stumbling block to knowing the love of God. God's mercy and love are infinite, while finite hubris limits the soul's progress towards the Kingdom.

As such, the various devotions of prayer, fasts, and alms-givings of the Scribes and Pharisees are merely outward- a saccharin substitute without value or power and unable to save. They withhold the greater gift of love and are content to give menial sacrifice. Consider Ananius and Sapphira (Acts 5) when they chose externals over the law of love and such evil was judged accordingly. 

We also see Jesus speak to judgment and the Jewish Courts -- rage leads to the coroner's investigation and then to the court for judgment and sentence.  Such separates man from God.

"Christ's law extends to the wilful conception of an act as well as to the act itself, and accounts the one a sin as well as the other." ~ John Henry Blunt

This warning gives us pause to examine our intentions and passions- to restrain the impulse and evil thoughts which are internal crimes, stopping them from becoming word or act. Thus we live the law of love in our hearts giving us a sense of duty to live a higher standard by "putting on the new man" through our baptism into Christ Jesus.  As a new creation our inward life will extend to all our relationships bringing peace with men so that we can now approach the altar of God, not with a superficial and external pretense as a Pharisee, but with a contrite heart and sincere devotion- born anew by the power of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Our New Covenant truly is a restoration and perfection of the covenant with Abraham.  Through faith regaining that which Abraham received through faith.  Our OT lesson- Genesis 18:1-16 has a purpose here:

And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

The Lord appears to Abraham but God is invisible and yet is seen by Abraham, and of course, fulfilling the promise centuries later, Christ will become Incarnate in a lowly manger before men.

Note that Abraham was a holy man and elder and he wasn't required by custom to greet anyone in the extraordinary manner related in the narrative yet he gets up (those of us gaining in age know how this alone can be a difficult) and runs in adoration and humility to accommodate these guests. We see in Abraham's hospitality a manifestation of duty of love in the Epistle. Think of Christ affirming hospitality when he says "I was a stranger and you took me in" and His washing of the Apostles feet.

 Figuratively the oak of Mamre (Hebron) means vision or sharpness of sight- he could see because he was pure of heart... a foreshadowing of the Beatitudes to the 'pure of heart'. Abraham doesn't posture like a Pharisee- his heart guides his response as he is a subject of the law of love.

A glimpse of the Holy Trinity.  Saint Ambrose sums it up:

"Abraham, who was glad to receive strangers, faithful to God and tireless in his service and prompt in fulfilling his duty, saw the Trinity typified. He added religious devotion to hospitality, for although he beheld three, he adored one, and, while keeping a distinction of the persons, yet he called one Lord, thus giving honor to the three but signifying one power. For not knowledge but grace spoke in him. And he believed better what he had not learned than we who have been taught. No one had falsified the type of truth, and therefore he saw three but worshiped their unity. He brought out three measures of meal but slaughtered one calf, believing one sacrifice was sufficient, but a threefold offering; one victim, but a threefold gift. ON HIS BROTHER, SATYRUS 2.96.4

The Three Cakes.  Ambrose continues:

He says, “Mix three measures of fine flour and make cakes.” In Greek these are called enkryphia, that is, hidden things, to indicate that every mystery must remain hidden and as if covered by inviolable silence, so that it should not be divulged inconsiderately to profane ears. In this silence the divine majesty is nurtured. With this inner attitude the one who is sober in speech avoids divulging the sacred. In using three measures of flour, Sarah is in fact giving a brief teaching about the mystery of the faith, she who is herself a prefiguration of the church, to whom are addressed the words, “Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in travail.”39 It is in fact the church that protects the faith in the intimacy of the Spirit when it professes the Trinity of one and the same nature, when it adores in equal measure and with equal veneration the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and celebrates them together in the same majesty, distinguishing according to what is proper to each person. Mix your piety with this profession of faith! ON ABRAHAM 1.5.38.40

Bread and meat are distributed as blessings- just as the gifts of our baptism into Christ, nourishing us with His sacraments and gifts of the Spirit.

Hospitality, a duty of love, has recompense- divine reward. Sarah is promised a son as a sign of covenant which will lead to generations of heirs- the Church.

The passage ends with the three men leaving to go down to Sodom.  A stark consequence with the grace bestowed on the humble and portent of judgment and one that illustrates our free will to choose sin and reject the law o love.  A lesson learned too late by Ananias and Sapphira.

Let's pray these Scriptures:
O GOD, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man's understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We hope you enjoyed this lesson and will consider joining us for Christian Education at St. Athanasius next Sunday as we continue our study of duty in Part II: The Service of Slaves. 

Pax Christus,

John Dixon
Warden, St. Athanasius Anglican Church
www.glenallenanglicans.org


For further reading and meditation this week-- Romans 4:13; Psalms 85, 16, 111, 71; Isaiah 57 13b-19; Matthew 5:38; 2 Timothy 2:7-13.


Sources:  The Harmony of the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels, P. M. Scott; Ancient Christian Commentary.

Illustrations by Enid Chadwick