THE WORD THIS WEEKEND

At the time of Jesus, some 2,000 years ago, there were 12 tribes of people in Israel.  It sounds a lot like Afghanistan, today - a tribal country always warring with each other.  The 12 tribes were descendants of and named after the 12 sons of Jacob;  Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin.    Jesus was born to the tribe of Judah. 

Samaria was a region of Israel, the area we now call Palestine, which was populated by the tribe of Joseph.  The tribe of Joseph didn't get along with the tribe of Judah. 

In the same region, were descendants of the tribe of Levi which were called Levites.  This tribe didn't get along with the other tribes either. 

A story in the Gospels tells of Jesus interacting with a woman from Samaria at a well.  More shocking when you know that they are of two tribes which don't associate with each other.

In the story we hear today, Jesus tells some fellow descendants of Judah, a story that involves a member of the tribe of Judah, of Joseph, and of Levi. 

You see, a man, tribe unknown, was beaten and robbed as he walked along the long road from Jerusalem to Jericho.   A priest of the the tribe of Judah saw him laying along the road but passed on by.   Later, a person from the tribe of Levi noticed the man but passed by him.  Neither of these men wanted to touch or deal with a person of another tribe.  Then comes a man from Samaria, a person of the tribe of Joseph, and he helped the beaten man. 

The message Jesus was giving to his people was that tribes don't matter - nationalities don't matter - place of birth doesn't matter - aliens are our neighbors the same as those from our tribe.  Love thy neighbor. 
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