FROM JERUSALEM 

TO JERICHO

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “From Jerusalem to Jericho.”

ON THE ROAD FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO 

There is a gospel song - a country western gospel song - by Hank Williams Sr. entitled, “From Jerusalem to Jericho.”

I put it on my blog - along with this homily - as one more way of preaching the good news of Jesus.

The Good Samaritan parable is one of top 5 or 10 parables of Jesus. Some of the best known ones are here in the gospel of Luke.

Everyone - hopefully everyone has heard of the story of the Good Samaritan.

We hear it here in church - whenever this gospel is read - and we hear it in our conscience every time we pass a beggar or a hurting person by.

They wave their, “I’m hungry” sign. We feel a “Guilty, guilty” sign blowing in the wind.

We’re even aware of the so called, “Good Samaritan Law” - one more example of religion entering into civil life - just as the “Hail Mary Pass” has entered into football.

HOW TO READ THE SCRIPTURES?

We’ve all been taught that one way to read the scriptures is to picture ourselves in the text.  

Sometimes this is difficult to do. If so try another method.

However, this method is especially easy with the parables.

We simply say, “Who am I in this story?”

Of if there are a few characters, we go down the line and see ourselves as each character in the story.

So in this story, when am I the Good Samaritan, stopping to help my neighbor?

When am I the man beaten up?

When am I the priest or the Levite passing by those who have been hurt or robbed?

When am I the robber - say for example - robbing someone of their good name?

When am I the inn keeper - seeing people helping other people?

When am I the scholar of the law - testing Jesus about what it is to be a good person?

HANK WILLIAM'S SONG

In Hank Williams song, he makes all of us the guy who was beaten up.

Every day is a journey down the road from Jerusalem to Jericho.

He sings, “We are the fallen ones that lie along the way” and people pass us by - like the priest - every day.

He sings, “Who are the ones who stop to help us along the way - the ones who are kind and true?”  Who are the ones who care? Who are the ones who bring the hurting ones into their inn?

Listen to the song on You-tube at the top of this homily. 

CONCLUSION

Our first reading for today is from the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Galatians. At the end of Galatians, 6:2, we’ll have the message of the Good Samaritan Parable. It's my favorite bible text, “Bear one another’s burdens and in this way you’ll fulfill the law of Christ.”

Amen.