Good Sam New Werner #1 (Liturgy)

The Parable of the Good Samaritan in Liturgy

by J. Ritter Werner, with input from Maurine Ischay

Abstract

Liturgy is a multimedia event with words, sounds, images, gestures, and sometimes smells. It is difficult, therefore, to evaluate how individuals experienced the Good Samaritan story in worship. The documented use of the Good Samaritan story as part of liturgical worship is over one thousand years old. In the worship setting, various other texts have been placed next to this parable throughout history, including selections from the Old Testament, the Gospels, and the New Testament Epistles.

This choice of additional readings impacts how people understand the parable itself. When these combinations of texts are studied, tensions appear that are not present in the original story: tensions between the old and the new, law and grace, Jews and Christians. These tensions are not part of Luke's tradition. They represent alien elements that are still present in the popular understanding of this parable, including at the extreme, anti-Semitism.

Summary

Liturgy is a multimedia event with words, sounds, images, gestures, and sometimes smells. It is difficult, therefore, to evaluate how individuals experienced the Good Samaritan story in worship throughout history. The documented use of the Good Samaritan as a reading in liturgical worship is over one thousand years old. In the worship setting, various other texts have been placed next to this parable throughout history, including selections from the Old Testament, the Gospels, and the New Testament Epistles.

In Greek Orthodox churches Luke 10.25-37 is read every year on the twenty-fifth Sunday of Pentecost, which would be celebrated toward the end of October. The Epistle for the day is Ephesians 4.1-6, which is an exhortation “to lead a life worthy of the vocation to which you were called. With all humility and gentleness, and with patience, support each other in love.”

Looking at the Roman Catholic church after the Protestant break-off, The Good Samaritan was used on the twelfth Sunday after Pentecost. The choice of the last “proper” text is the most interesting for the history of interpretation. It provides more light on how the Good Samaritan was probably viewed in the sixteenth century. Exodus 32.11-14 is the prayer of Moses to the Lord after God tells him that the people of Israel are worshiping the golden calf. Just after that, Moses comes down from Mount Sinai and breaks the stone tablets. This text was taken out of context and placed just after the reading of the Good Samaritan. As such, it didn’t just amplify negative thoughts or feelings against the priest and Levite in particular and the Law in general. It was plainly anti-Semitic.

In the New Roman Catholic Lectionary (1970), The Good Samaritan is only read once every three years. This represents a reduction in its use. The other readings have been changed, showing a more positive attitude toward the Law of Moses and the Law’s relationship to the parable.

The Anglican Church’s Book of Common Prayer (1662) prescribed a “collect” or prayer spoken just before the reading of the Good Samaritan gospel. With this prayer in the ears of the congregation, the Samaritan becomes the example of “faithful service in this life” and thus a “good” person to imitate.

In recent years, the Revised Common Lectionary (used by many mainline Churches) completely rethinks the modern Roman Catholic approach to the Good Samaritan. It surrounds the reading with yet another set of sacred texts. The first reading, for example, uses Amos 1.1; 7.7-17, which invokes the image of God setting a plumb line to judge the actions of Israel. All the readings combine to lead the congregation to see the Samaritan as setting a “plumb line” for Christian service.

Full Article

The documented use of the Good Samaritan pericope as part of liturgical worship is over one thousand years old. The following outline will note some of those uses in the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant traditions.

Greek Orthodox: Luke 10.25–37 is read every year on the twenty-fifth Sunday of Pentecost, which would be celebrated toward the end of October. In the old Greek calendar this Sunday was called Kuriake Eta, which was the eighth Sunday after the Greek civil New Year, September first. The Epistle for the day is Ephesians 4.1–6, which is an exhortation to the Church at Ephesus “…to lead a life worthy of the vocation to which you were called. With all humility and gentleness, and with patience, support each other in love.” Before these readings, a “Gradual” hymn from Psalm 76.11, 1 is sung: “Make your vows to the Lord our God, and perform them. God is known in Judah; his name is great in Israel.”

Coptic Orthodox: In the month of Bashaush (between April 26 and May 25), the Coptic Church reads Luke 10.25–28 at the Eucharist.

Roman Catholic tradition in the Comes Lectionary (7th or 8th century): Luke 10.25–37 is read on the fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost. The Epistle for the day is from Galatians 3.16–22, which contrasts the Law and faith and questions the ability of the Law to give life. Such a juxtaposition of the Gospel and the Epistle seems to make the reply of Jesus to the expert about the efficacy of the Law null and void. After the Reformation, this early medieval tradition was continued by the Lutheran and Anglican traditions on the thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.

The Roman Catholic tradition after Trent: The Good Samaritan is used on the 12th Sunday after Pentecost. The Epistle for that Sunday is 2 Corinthians 3.4–9, which states in verse six “…for it is God who made us capable of serving the new covenant, which consists not of a written law, but of the spirit; the written law brings death, but the spirit gives life.” Other scriptural passages used on this Sunday are Psalm 69.2– 4 for the Introit, Psalm 34.2–3 for the Gradual, Psalm 88.2 for the Alleluia, and Exodus 32.11,13–14 for the Offertory.

This last proper text is the most interesting for the history of interpretation, because it provides more light on how the Good Samaritan was probably viewed in the sixteenth century. Exodus 32.11–14 is the prayer of Moses to the Lord after God tells him that the people of Israel are worshiping the golden calf, and just before Moses comes down from Mount Sinai and breaks the stone tablets. This text, taken out of context and placed just after the reading of the Good Samaritan, goes beyond an amplification of any negative thoughts or feelings that might be generated against the priest and Levite in particular and the Law in general during the liturgical reading of the Gospel. It is plainly anti-Semitic.

The New Roman Catholic Lectionary (1970): Luke 10.25–37 is used on the fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, cycle C. This is about the same time of the year as the twelfth Sunday of Pentecost; however, the pericope is only read once every three years. This represents a reduction in its use. The first reading is from Deuteronomy 30.10–14, where Moses encourages Israel to hearken to the Law. The Epistle is from Colossians 1.15–20, which is a hymn to Christ as the head of creation and as reconciler of all things. The Responsorial Psalm consists of eight verses from Psalm 69, which sings of calling to the Lord in time of need and the Lord hearing that petition.

The proper texts of the day have been completely revamped. Psalm 54 (Vulgate) is used for the Introit. Verses 8 and 2 of Psalm 16 (Vulgate) are used for the Gradual. The Alleluia is from Psalm 64.2 (Vulgate), and the Offertory is from Psalm 24 (Vulgate), verses 1–3. All of the texts seem to petition God for general help and protection. The Exodus text that was part of the Trentine Mass has been moved to the eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, where it makes no direct reference to the Gospel of the day. This revision marks an important break with the medieval and Trentine tradition, and it demonstrates a more positive attitude toward the Law of Moses and the Law’s relationship to the parable.

The Protestant Traditions: The ancient Roman practice of reading the Good Samaritan story yearly was continued by two of the Reformation churches, the Anglican and the Lutheran. First the Anglican.

In the Books of Common Prayer of 1559 and 1662 the Good Samaritan story was read on the 13th Sunday of Trinity. (This is the same Sunday as the 14th Sunday after Pentecost in the Roman, Comes Lectionary.) There is, however, a slight modification. Verses 23 and 24 of Chapter 11 of the Gospel of Luke are added to the pericope: “Happy are the eyes which see the things that ye see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them , and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” (Great Bible translation of 1537 from the 1559 Book of Common Prayer.)

The hearing of this expanded reading is also anticipated by a Collect and lessons which frame the parable. The Collect lauds faithful service as the path to attain God’s heavenly promises. It reads, “ Almighty and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity, and that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Book of Common Prayer, 1559, p. 197 in the 1976 Folger Shakespeare Library Edition). In the lesson from the Epistle to the Galatians, chapter 5, “...walking in the Spirit...” is contrasted over against the “law.” With this collect and lesson in the ears of the congregation before the hearing of the Gospel of the day, the Samaritan becomes an example of “faithful service,” “walking in the spirit, and not the law,” and thus is a “good” person to imitate.

The German Lutheran Church also read the Good Samaritan story on the 13th Sunday of Trinity. To reinforce the message of this and other Gospel readings in the Lutheran Lectionary, composers in the Church during the 17th and 18th Centuries were given the task to compose Cantatas on free poetic paraphrases of the weekly Gospels as musical “sermons,” so that the congregation would have the Gospel re-told in music. J. S. Bach composed three cantatas on the Good Samaritan story. In each of the compositions he reinforces Christian views about keeping the Commandments and repenting when we do not help our neighbor, in imitation of the Samaritan. In cantata 33, for example, the tenor sings in the duet: Gott, der du die Liebe heisst, Gib, dass ich aus reinem triebe, als mich silbst den Nachsten leibe...,” “Grant that I [may have] pure inclinations to love my neighbor as myself...” Or in cantata 164 the Bass sings:

Wir hören noch des Nächsten Seufzer an!

Er klopft an unser Herz;

doch wird’s nicht aufgetan.

Wir sehen zwar sein Händeringen,

sein Auge, das von Tränen fleusst;

doch lässt das Herz sich nicht zur Leibe zwingen.

Der Priester und Levit, der hier

Seite tritt,

sind ja ein Bild liebloser Christen...

We even still hear (our) Neighbor’s groans!

He knocks on our hearts;

yet we do not go (to him).

We certainly see his wringing hands

his eyes full of tears;

yet our heart responds not to love’s obligations.

The Priest, and Levite, who walk on the other side,

are like a loveless Christian.

In the next aria in the same cantata, the alto prays to have a Samaritergleiche Herzen, “a Samaritan-like heart.” These quotations are typical of all three of Bach’s cantatas and reflect a positive musical addition to the liturgical tradition, since elements of the Gospel story were “trans-mediated” from a simple reading or chanting into art music.

The Anglican and Lutheran use of the Good Samaritan story continued unchanged until recently when they revised the lectionary as part of a general liturgical reform by Roman and “mainline” Protestant Churches in the 1970’s and 80’s. While retaining the Good Samaritan story as part of the Lectionary, in cycle C, Amos 1.1, 7.7-17 is now the first reading. It evokes the image of God setting a plumb line to judge the actions of Israel. The Psalm is 82. It sings of God judging action, not of Israel, but of the “gods” in the divine assembly, who do not “rescue the weak and the needy.” The Epistle is from Colossians, verses 1 to 14, which, among other things, exhorts the church at Colossae “...to lead a life worthy of the Lord,...bearing fruit in every kind of good work...” Again, these readings precede the Gospel of the day and lead the congregation to see the Samaritan as setting a “plumb line” for Christian service. F. Pratt Green says as much in a contemporary hymn which is used in Churches that follow the Revised Lectionary:

‘To be a neighbor,’ the Master said,

‘On the Jericho Road,

Is to show compassion as that man did.’

For even faith without deeds is dead

On the Jericho Road,

On the Jericho Road.

A Question and two tentative answers: All liturgy is a multimedia event with words, sounds, images, gestures, and sometimes, even smells. This raises an important question: How has the Good Samaritan story been experienced within these various liturgical settings? It is hard to know. In all probability many Christians throughout the ages and in the various traditions experienced the story (and musical compositions based on the story) and understood Jesus’ command, to “go and do the same...” as their own marching orders. This reaction would be rooted in the original, Lukan narrative.

However, other Christians, influenced by the various liturgical contexts with particular lessons and prayers, read alien elements into the story, like the allegorical interpretation of the Priest and Levite in Cantata 164. Such elements, while not always completely wrong, stifle the impact of the original story. Our task in this multimedia project, then, is to present the sounds and images of the parable as clearly as possible, so that modern audiences can strip away these alien elements and experience the power of the original story in a contemporary context.