November 16th, 2025: Will you take up the mantle?

The Good Samaritan And Why the Orthodox Church Must Up Its Game

Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan to answer a simple question. Who is my neighbor.

The man who asks Him wants to justify himself. He wants to know the minimum. Who do I have to love. Who can I safely ignore.

In the story, the religious people walk by. The priest and the Levite see the man who is beaten and half dead, and they pass on the other side. The one who stops is the Samaritan, the outsider, the one nobody expects. He has compassion, he goes to the man, he bandages his wounds, he pays his bill, and he promises to come back.

At the end, Jesus does not ask, who was the man’s neighbor in theory. He asks, which of these three proved to be a neighbor. The answer is simple. The one who showed mercy. Then the Lord looks at us and says, Go and do likewise.

In our time, this parable is still preaching to us. We look around and we see that some of the groups that are growing the fastest in this country are not Orthodox. In fact, some of them do not even confess the true Christian faith. Yet people are drawn to them. Why. Very often it is because they are willing to serve. They are willing to show up when someone is in need.

Many of these groups are known for very strong charity. If you are hungry, they feed you. If you are sick, they bring you food. If you cannot pay a bill, they help you. If you need a ride to work, they find a way. People feel seen, cared for, and supported. The theology may be deeply wrong, but the visible charity is powerful and attractive.

Now look at us. We have the fullness of the faith. We have the true worship of God. We have the beauty of the Divine Liturgy. We have the sacraments and the living presence of Christ in His Body and Blood. We have the ancient faith that the saints died for. Spiritually, we are rich.

But here is the hard question. Are we as rich in mercy as we are in doctrine. Do people see the love of the Good Samaritan in our parish life. When someone’s car breaks down, do several people jump up and say, how can I help. When someone loses work, do we rally around them. When someone is sick, do they hear from us, do we bring meals, do we show up.

In the early Church, Christians did not convert the world by winning arguments alone. They did preach the truth, and some gave their lives for it. But much of the conversion of the empire happened because Christians loved in very concrete ways. They took in abandoned children. They cared for the sick when plagues came. They created places of care, the first hospitals and homes for the poor. Their love was practical, costly, and real.

People looked at them and said, see how they love one another. They did not only say, see how they worship, though the worship was beautiful. They saw a community that fed, visited, and comforted. A people who did not walk by on the other side.

Today, Christ is asking us the same question. Who proved to be a neighbor. He is not asking us what label we have on our church sign. He is not asking us only what we confess on paper. He is asking whether our lives actually look like His parable. He is asking whether we will be the ones who stop for the broken man on the road, or whether we will leave that work to someone else.

This is where stewardship comes in. It is not just about paying bills and keeping the lights on, even though those things are real. If we want to be a parish that truly lives the Gospel, we will need resources. We will need time, talent, and treasure. We will need people who are willing to serve, to plan, and to give.

Imagine what could happen if we committed ourselves to real, ongoing works of mercy. A food pantry that is open regularly. A fund that quietly helps people in trouble, no questions asked. Regular visits to the sick and lonely. Simple phone calls and messages that say, we have not seen you, are you alright. These are not complicated programs. They are acts of love.

This means every one of us has a role. It is easy to think, that is Father’s job, or that is the job of the Parish Council, or the ladies group, or the youth. But in the parable, Jesus does not say, there was a man in a collar, or a man with a title, who helped. He simply says, a Samaritan. A normal person, an unexpected person, chose to act.

So we have to ask ourselves, where am I in this story. Am I the one who crosses to the other side of the road and hopes someone else will handle it. Do I say, I am too busy, I already gave at church, I do not want to get involved. Or am I willing to be inconvenienced. Am I willing to give extra. Am I willing to risk being uncomfortable for the sake of love.

Part of this is financial. A parish cannot grow in acts of mercy if it barely has enough to stay open. Tithing and generous giving are not just about supporting an institution. They are about fueling a mission. When we give with faith, we give the parish the ability to respond quickly when someone is in need, to create ministries that serve, to be ready when the stranger appears on our road.

Another part is initiative. Sometimes people think, if Father does not start it, it cannot be done. In reality, the priest is there to bless, guide, and support. Many of the best ideas for service begin with faithful people who come and say, Father, here is a need, here is an idea, here is a plan, can we try this. This is how love becomes a parish culture and not just an announcement.

The Lord finishes the parable with a command, not a suggestion. Go and do likewise. Not, go and think nice thoughts. Not, go and post about it. Go and do. Our prayer, our worship, and our theology are meant to lead to action, to mercy, to service. If our beautiful liturgy does not overflow into beautiful love, then we have missed the point.

The world is hungry. People are tired of shallow religion, of churches that feel like a concert and a lecture with no depth and no care. They are hungry for God, but they are also hungry to be seen, to be loved, and to be carried when they cannot walk on their own. If they see that in us, if they see Good Samaritans in this parish, they will be drawn not only to us, but to Christ Himself.

So let us ask the Lord for courage and generosity. Let us decide, each of us, that we will not simply walk past the wounded. We will see, we will stop, we will give, we will serve. We will look at our time, our gifts, and our money, and we will say, Lord, all of this is Yours, show me how to use it for my neighbor.

Who is my neighbor?

If we do this, we will not only see our own parish grow. We will see souls drawn to salvation. We will show the world that Orthodoxy is not only the ancient faith in name, but the living faith of the Good Samaritan, here and now. And by God’s grace, when people look at us, they will hear the words of Christ echo in their hearts.  Go and do likewise.