Even if you don’t know this story…you most likely have heard of The Good Samaritan Law! In fact, this was a main topic in the final episode of the Seinfeld Show which aired at the end of 1988. Like the recent ending of “The Sopranos”…they also received a lot of flack for an ending the public felt was disappointing. Maybe the reason so many were disappointed in the show, is because it moralized. It wasn’t very funny; in fact, it was too self evaluating.
Let me remind you what happened. Jerry Seinfeld plays a comedian on the show and he has just received a contract from NBC to do a sitcom and the network is flying Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer to Paris as a gift— Their plane has problems and they are stuck in Lakeland Massachusetts. Killing time wondering around on the sidewalks in this quaint New England town, when suddenly before their very eyes a car jacking unfolds:
Being New Yorkers and the kind of people they are they make fun of the guy who is being robbed. Kramer, who has a camcorder in his hands, films the incident as a curiosity. They never shout out, they’re 10 yards away, and never lift a hand to help. They just stand there and casually watch! The robber speeds off with the car and the police arrive late on the scene.
With the excitement over Jerry suggest they go get something to eat. They turn to walk off when the officer walks up to them. Officer: Alright, hold it right there. Jerry: Wha’? Officer: You’re under arrest. Jerry: Under arrest, What for? Officer: Article 223 dash 7 of the Lakeland county penal code Elaine: What, we didn’t do anything. Officer: That’s exactly right. The law requires you to help or assist anyone in danger, as long at its reasonable to do so. George: I never heard of that. Officer: It’s new, its called the Good Samaritan Law, Let’s go. I couldn’t help but wonder if the whole episode was taken right out Luke’s Gospel. In a subtle way it is very comical: George says that he never heard of that one but the truth is, that law is as old as the tablets Moses brought down from Mount Sinai. There’s nothing NEW about it. It may not have been a State Law for long, But it had been a Religious Law since the time of Moses!
The story of the Good Samaritan is really a parable about the Mosaic Law and how it is to be understood and lived. The lawyer stands up and addresses Jesus. He’s going to test Jesus’ understanding of theLaw. He looks at Jesus and asks: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" This man was not suddenly having a change of heart and opening up to Jesus. This is obvious from the scriptures.
First of all, it says that he wanted to test Jesus. And second, This was a common question in teaching circles. It was an intellectual exercise. A dialogue to test a Rabbi’s knowledge. The lawyer knew the answer to his own question.W hat the lawyer is asking in essence is: Jesus, how do you interpret the Law of Moses?
But, Jesus will not answer the question. He KNOWS he’s being tested…and probably felt a bit insulted at being asked such an obvious question. So he turns the question on the Lawyer: What is written in the law? What do you read there? Now, don’t be fooled into thinking that the Lawyer had a moment of insight here. Almost every Jew could summarize the law exactly as the lawyer had done. You could have stopped anyone on the streets of Israel and asked them this question and they would have answered, "Everybody knows the answer to that question ‘love God and love your neighbor’." Every one knew what the law required! There is nothing new about this law. We can’t be like George and claim "I never heard of that one." We know this law. We can’t deny its existence.
Even NOT being Jews, we heard this when Jesus was talking to the Gentiles as well - saying, “I bring you a NEW Commandment…..Love God with all your heart, mind and strength; And Love your neighbor as yourself.”
It’s interesting how all this debate was over KNOWING the law… which is what lawyers do. A businessman well known for his ruthlessness, not a nice fellow at all, once announced to writer Mark Twain, "Before I die I plan to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I will climb Mount Sinai and read the 10 Commandments aloud at the top." "I have a better idea," replied Twain. "You could stay in Boston and keep them."
THAT’S where Jesus is trying to take this debate he is having with the lawyer when the lawyer presents the NEXT question. "And who is my neighbor?" the fellow asked. It’s probably something WE want to know too. After all – if helping our neighbor is what’s required to get into heaven…. Who IS our neighbor? IS it the person who lives on either side of us? Is it our fellow Christian? Our other Americans? Our Caucasian neighbor – or Latino neighbor –or other Enthic neighbor? And we all have a different idea of HOW to Love your neighbor. John was showing off his new apartment to his friends. “Say, what’s that gong for?” asked Ed.
“That’s not a gong,” John replied. “That’s a talking clock.” “A talking clock?” Ed asked in disbelief. “How’s it work?” “Watch,” said John. He picked up a sledgehammer and took a huge swing at the gong. A voice from the other side of the wall screamed, “Knock it off, you idiot! It’s 2:00 A. M.!” “See” John said, “A talking clock.” Also, a good test of your neighbor’s love for you.
You watch something so faithfully and laugh at it long enough you begin to take on its characteristics. Seinfeld may have been saying, “People please don’t imitate what you have just seen on this show - its just TV. But maybe the damage has already been done—as the Apostle Paul says, "Bad company corrupts good morals." Or a friend of mine use to say, "You can’t run with dogs and not catch fleas." Societies tend to take on a national conscious and in our case we collectively identify with TV now.
If we are a Seinfeld society then we are self absorbed and mock those who are different and ignore those who are in need. Elaine pleaded with the officer, "We didn’t do anything." It turns out that that became an indictment, an admission of guilt: "That’s exactly right," he says. "The law requires that you DO do something!
The Good Samaritan Law requires you to help or assist anyone in danger as long at its reasonable to do so."
The Lawyer knew this and so did every other Jew with a smattering of knowledge of the Law. So do we. With just a smattering of knowledge of the Gospel of Christ, we know that as our law. It’s almost pathetic that we NEED a legal law CALLED the good Samaritan Law. The fact that there IS a law REQUIRING people to help other people – is a sad commentary on the state of our Society. It has gotten to the point that we don’t EXPECT people to help us. Good Samaritan...Dan Rather recalls an eventful elevator ride in a large Florida hotel: He said: After having flown in late during the night, I am now up early to go downstairs and make a speech before several thousand people. I am not in a good mood. In the elevator I feel all eyes on me. "Didn’t any of these people’s mothers teach them that it’s rude to stare?" Soon the elevator reaches the lobby. As it empties, a woman gently takes hold of my sleeve. "Mr. Rather," she says quietly, "I don’t mean to intrude." "Then why are you?" I say to myself. She looks around, making sure no one else is listening. "I don’t want this to be embarrassing. But your fly is unzipped and a piece of your shirt-tail is sticking out through it," she says. Then she smiles and strides away.
We have become a Suspicious group of people. We have been taken advantage of. Sometimes your safety may be at risk. We have ALL had to make these decisions – to help or NOT to help.
I was driving along in a RAINSTORM one night –a pick-up truck was pulled over with its hood up. Do I want to get wet? Is it a decoy for a robbery? So I pull over and ask if they need help. Their battery is dead. Do I have cables and can I give them a jump? Yes I do, and Sure I will. In less than 5 minutes their engine is running and they are ready to go. “Wait a minute!” they yell. “Uh-oh” I think. What’s going to happen. “Let us pay you something. You really helped us.” I told them their payment was to help someone else when they see them in need.
I was in Center City Philadelphia, when a young man approaches me and asks for $3.50 to get a drink and a sandwich. I want to help him – I really DO. But my gut says he will most likely take the money and but booze or drugs with it. My Good Samaritan side was winning this day.
As I give him the $3.50 he asks for, It is accompanied by me expressing my hesitation and hoping he won’t have me regretting this act of generosity. Five minutes later I hear him calling, “Mister! Mister!” I turn around as he’s running down the block…just to show me his sandwich and iced tea…and to thank me again.
I felt a little crappy at doubting him but I’ve had reason. The man who came up to me asking for $5.00 for Cab Fare to go to the hospital to visit his mother who was in Intensive Care. Again I hesitated. Ask - what hospital?
The University of Pennsylvania, he said. What’s her name? Edith Jones, he replied. I take out my cell phone and call Patient Information at the U of P Hospital and ask for the room number for Edith Jones. I was told they have no Edith Jones there. The gentleman just walked away.
At our Oktoberfest several years ago – Paul Haines fell over onto the floor. His heart stopped. I was on the other side of the room. I went over and with Rob Johnson, began doing CPR. The EMT team arrived, used a diffibulator to shock Paul’s heart back into action, and he lived for 2 more years. The next week someone sitting right across from Paul, admitted to me that THEY knew CPR. When I asked them, “Why didn’t you get up and do it?” They said, “I was afraid to.”
In our Society we HAVE become afraid. Afraid of a Law-Suit if something goes wrong. Fearful for our OWN safety if we help the wrong person. But our FEAR has caused too many people to go without help.
THAT’S why there needed to be a law –The GOOD SAMARITAN Law! Who is our neighbor? EVERYONE! Are their risks in helping our neighbor? Yes. Is it worth taking that risk? Jesus tells us that it is! What must I do to inherit Eternal Life? Very Simple – Love your neighbor as yourself. Amen.