Bringing Peace to a Troubled World!

It seems they took a wrong turn and drove into the Palestinian part of the divided city. As the lost students travelled 
through the West Bank, their car was set alight with firebombs, and they were pelted with stones. They 
frantically left their car and began running away, desperate and hopeless. A Palestinian man heard the cries 
from inside his house and ventured out. He saw them running in fear from other Palestinians. The Palestinian 
man, Fayez Abu Hamdiyeh, rushed to them and spoke in Hebrew, reassuring them and ushered them into 
his house to protect them. He called police and protected the students until they arrived. When it was 
suggested he was a hero, Fayez said, “I did what needed to be done,” he added, “That's how everyone 
should behave. We have no problems with the Israelis, and we don't want to have any.”
This is a story that plays out across our world in large and small ways – although the ending does not 
always have a courageous person risking themselves to be a peacemaker by crossing barriers with love and 
grace. For too much of our world, at the level of local communities or international relations, there is fear, 
abuse of power, hatred, violence and unwillingness to act for peace and healing. There is fear of 
consequences and that fear can be well-grounded. If nations intervene for peace, will they be drawn into 
wars or experience retaliation? This is so in local communities where people are afraid to act for fear of 
consequences, or uncertainty about what to do. For most of us it is a step to far to become involved in ‘other 
people’s business.’ 
I wonder what the students first thought when they saw a Palestinian man rushing at them whilst they 
were trying to escape other Palestinians. I imagine that they felt threatened and more fearful and scared of 
him, one of the ‘enemies’. I wonder what might have bene the end result here if Fayez had closed his door 
and ignored the students? I wonder what might have happened if Fayez had harboured hatred in his heart 
and saw the students as enemy – like the riotous gang? I wonder what happens to people, anonymous people 
in our world when they and their situation is ignored, misrepresented or when they are recognised as 
deserving of suffering because they are ‘enemy.’ In the midst of a divided world there are many barriers 
and much fear – there are many ‘enemies’ and Jesus’ call to love is a profound challenge!
This week we have before us the well-known tale of ‘The Good Samaritan’ (Luke 10:25-37). As it is 
well-known the term ‘Good Samaritan’ has entered into common usage, referring to anyone who helps 
another. In many ways we have embraced the notion of reaching out to another to provide assistance and 
support. This is good but it also softens the radical nature of Jesus’ story which calls us to something deeper, 
requiring more courage and with more risk. It is to actively cross the barriers our world has erected and 
defends with vigour and power.
The story is part of a section where a lawyer comes to Jesus seeking wisdom about how he could ‘inherit 
eternal life.’ This is not about getting into some future heaven beyond death but the deep experience of 
God’s presence in life, now. We might ask: How do I find deep, rich meaningful life here and now? It is 
an existential question and one that underlies the deep anxiety and sense of yearning that pervades our 
materialistic and increasingly superficial Western World. Despite our increasing wealth and the capacity to 
have more ‘stuff’ than ever before, we are, on the whole, less satisfied, less hopeful and more depressed, 
anxious and afraid. Despite having access to more information about more of the world and having access 
to more of the world through travel (or perhaps because of it?), we seem to be more cut off from people 
and more suspicious and frightened of those who are different than ever before. We too, may yearn for an 
answer to the lawyer’s question.
Jesus throws it back at him, asking what he believes, and his response is that which is known as the 
Great Commandment, found in the first 3 gospels – ‘Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, you 
mind, your soul and your strength. Love your neighbour as yourself.’ These words are derived from the 
Old Testament books of the law, Leviticus and Deuteronomy and were apparently often connected.
Jesus affirmed the lawyer and told him that this is the way into God’s heart, the way into deep and richly 
meaningful life – that which is eternal and lasting! The lawyer wants to justify himself and define his actions 
– how far does this call to love extend? Where are the boundaries and limitations of love? How far do I 
have to cast the net of love and who is ‘in,’ who is ‘out’? Jesus then tells a story of a man who falls victim 
Reflection Notes – 13/7/25
5
th Sunday after Pentecost – Geoff Stevenson
to robbers and is left to die by the roadside. In a typical story ‘of three,’ two people come past and set their 
priorities of love in one direction, whilst a third expresses his in another direction. Two pass by and the 
third gives exceptional care. The sting in the tail is this – he is a Samaritan! 
If this were merely a story of example, Jesus would neither bother with priest and Levite in the first two, 
nor Samaritan as the exemplar. Any three people would do – go and emulate number 3 and care for one of 
your own in need. That would be challenge enough possibly, except that the point of love, love for God and 
neighbour is that we are challenged to go beyond the natural bounds. We are challenged to break down the 
barriers of hatred, enmity, suspicion, fear and rejection – we are to incorporate everyone into our circle of 
love! 
When the Jewish man in the gutter looked up and saw priest and Levite coming, he possibly believed he 
was safe, but they passed by. They were bound by other legal priorities or would not allow themselves to 
become unclean by coming into contact with one who was bloodied and beaten. Ritual cleanliness was their 
imperative and defined how they would act. We also find all manner of ‘legal’ or other ritual reasons to 
exclude, deny and avoid the path of loving those on the other side of social and other divides.
When the Jewish man looked up and saw a Samaritan, a sworn enemy of his people, he probably 
expected a knife, a boot; the logical conclusion of his beating – death. He looked into the eyes of another 
human who offered grace and care, crossed barriers that divided their people for centuries. He was grasped 
by love that transcended barriers and boundaries.
It is a radical story where a man transcends the barriers of national enmity and hatred. He reaches out to 
the beaten man as a human being, and he offers love. Jesus urges us to take up this challenge, to break
through boundaries on the way to love. We are challenged to embrace the ‘other’ as friend and neighbour 
as offensive or difficult as this might feel and be! Like Fayez, we’re urged to do what is needed to be 
peacemakers in a troubled world.