PARABLE OF THE INNKEEPER

Jesus portrays different possible attitudes towards the wounded person in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke: 10, 25-37). The robbers wanted to acquire others’ property, the priest and Levite did not care for others, the Good Samaritan was ready to sacrifice his time, money and other assets to save and serve the man in need. Jesus wanted his followers to follow the Samaritan’s selfless love. There is another character in the parable - the innkeeper. His attitude was to offer all possible services, provided some one was ready to bear all the expenses involved in the service. This attitude is not explained in many commentaries but a close examination of the activities of several social organizations reveals that this attitude is quite common. Service for a price is the motto of many institutions. Unfortunately some of the hospitals and centres of education operate only for the wealthy that can afford to pay for the services received. Some institutions run by the Church also follow this attitude of the innkeeper. Let us pray that all Christian institutions become centres of Christian charity, offering dedicated services to the poor and underprivileged brothers and sisters, making Christianity a reality.

True Christian life demands

Love without condition,

service without compulsion,

sacrifice without calculation and

suffering without complaint.

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By Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India.

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