by the Rev. Tad de Bordenave We move now to the point in the story where the Good Samaritan stops and administers compassion to the man in the ditch. This man Jesus describes as “beaten, stripped, and dying.” We will transpose him to today’s world and examine compassion from two different perspectives. One shows biblical […]
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The Samaritan’s Compassion and God’s Radiance
by the Rev. Tad de Bordenave We return to the dialogue between the lawyer and Jesus. We left them when the lawyer had asked the question, “Who is my neighbor?” In response Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. With this parable Jesus was prodding the lawyer to acknowledge a relation with God he […]
The Priest and Levite, and the Man in the Ditch
by Tad de Bordenave Last week I described the contemporary “man in the ditch” as four groups: indigenous people, the unborn child, nomads, and Muslims in our neighborhoods. This week we bring in the priest and the Levite of today. These two men “passed by on the other side.” What would that look like today? […]
The Man in the Ditch…Today
Tad de Bordenave We now turn our attention to the parable of the Good Samaritan and the central character of the story — the man in the ditch. Jesus described him with terms that are brief and grim. The man was “stripped, wounded, and left half-dead.” This was not a pretty sight! No wonder the priest […]
Hearing the Man in the Ditch
Was it only two weeks since we put aside the story of the Good Samaritan, the visit of the lawyer and Jesus? In the interim we have had shopping, lists, family, decorations, lists, guests, presents, feasts, lists, and — oh yes – Christmas and New Years. Time to return to the Good Samaritan and the […]
God’s Good Life: Testing Jesus
by Tad de Bordenave We enter the story of the Good Samaritan with the dialogue of Jesus and the lawyer. This well-educated lawyer was steeped in Jewish law, but he had never met anyone like Jesus. This rabbi had done miracles, drew crowds, and alienated the religious establishment. The lawyer wanted to test him. Should […]