Deuteronomy 30:10-14 / Colossians 1:15-20 / Luke 10:25-37
We have heard of this phrase “the road less travelled”. Actually it is part of a longer sentence that goes like this: Two roads diverged into the woods, and I – I took the one less travelled. And that has made all the difference.
That is the last sentence of a poem by Robert Frost. And that sentence summarizes what the poem is about. It is about the choices in life, and essentially it is about the two choices.
One is the well-travelled wide road which is an attractive choice. The other is hardly a trail and obviously more difficult and less appealing.
The human inclination would be to go for the wide and easy road. After all that is the obvious choice and most have chosen to go that way.
The road less travelled obviously means difficulty. But the road less travelled has this message: Life is difficult.
Yes, life is difficult. But that is a great truth, in fact one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it.
When we truly know that life is difficult, when we truly understand and accept it, then life is no longer difficult because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer really matters.
Of course that won’t make life any easier, but when we accept and are prepared that life is going to be difficult, then choosing the road less travelled will make all the difference.
In the gospel, Jesus told a parable of a man on his way from Jerusalem to Jericho. That man was travelling alone. He seemed to have taken the road less travelled, because others would have travelled in groups, and probably taken a safer longer road.
And it was on that road that the man fell into the hands of brigands, they took all he had, beat him up and then made off, leaving him half-dead.
And then on that same road, came along a priest, and then a Levite. Both were religious persons, but both chose to pass by the wounded man, for whatever reasons.
Then came along this Samaritan traveler, a non-Jew, and as we may know, Jews and Samaritans want to have nothing to do with each other because they were enemies.
So this Samaritan traveler, a rather unexpected character in the parable, did the rather unexpected thing. He was moved with compassion, he went to help the wounded man, bandaged his wounds, carried him on his mount to the inn and told the inn-keeper to look after him and paid for the expenses.
So it was on that road from Jerusalem to Jericho, probably a road less travelled, that the lawyer, who tried to disconcert Jesus, had his question addressed.
He had asked Jesus “Who is my neighbour?” and Jesus let the parable address his question.
And then Jesus had a question for him too – Which of these three, do you think, proved himself a neighbour to the man who fell into the brigands’ hands?
The lawyer’s answer says it all – The one who took pity on him.
So the lawyer’s question of “Who is my neighbour?” was addressed by his own answer.
And his own answer also addressed what a true neighbour is. A true neighbour is one who has pity and compassion on someone who is in need.
This parable is often called the parable of the Good Samaritan.
The term “Good Samaritan” has come to stand for those who want to help others in need.
Yes, Good Samaritans are those who take the road less travelled, in that where others pass by those in need, they go and reach out and help, like how the Samaritan helped the wounded man in the parable.
So we understand the term “Good Samaritan”. And like the Samaritan in the parable, we also have taken the road less travelled.
We have taken the way of Christianity, which is no doubt, a difficult way.
And in walking this way, others will know us as Christians. But will they call us “Good Christians”, just as we call that Samaritan in the parable, the “Good Samaritan”?
To be a Christian is to make the choice of walking the way of Christianity, which is already the road less travelled. So we will be called Christian.
But to be a “Good Christian”, that would mean that we embark on a more challenging way – the way of love and compassion.
And religion is about love and compassion, without which then religion is hollow and Christianity would just be a name without a meaning.
So we are not just a Christian or a Catholic. We must be a “Good Christian” and a “Good Catholic”, who will be a neighbour of love and compassion to those in need.
The way of love and compassion is a difficult way and a road less travelled. But we walk that road because we are following Jesus, our “Good Shepherd” who is love and compassion, and He want us to follow Him and to be a neighbour of love and compassion to those in need.