Part three in our four part series on the parable of the Good Samaritan focuses on the Inn Keeper. The inn keeper is an interesting because, much like the victim, the inn keeper never speaks. Yet, the inn keeper has an important part to play and one that we can learn from. 

As usual, there are a bunch of questions I have about this story and related to the inn keeper specifically. When the Samaritan showed up with the wounded individual on the back of his animal, was the inn keeper watching out the window as they pulled up? Was the inn keeper initially reluctant to give lodging to these two individuals? Or, was the inn keeper excited to be a part of the victims healing? 

Does the inn keeper have any autonomy in this story? When the Samaritan continues on with his journey, and leaves the victim in the room, sure the Samaritan pays for his stay and his care, but could the inn keeper have said no? 

These are all questions and ideas that we can only hypothesize over, what we can learn from the inn keeper is the need to involve others in the work that we do. The Samaritan didn’t have to employ the inn keeper. He had already changed his plans and you’d think he could again. He could have placed him on his animal in the morning, but instead he involves someone else in the needed work to bring about healing for this individual.

With that in mind, are we more prone to inviting others to join us, or do you prefer to be asked? Regardless of which, we are never meant to do this work alone. We are meant to work together. So, when you have been invited to join up with someone or something that is needed, how did you respond? Did you have a resounding YES, or were you reluctant or maybe even said no? Have you taken the time to invite others to join you in work that makes a difference? Certainly you could do it on your own, and it might even be easier and go quicker, but in the long run we can do more together than alone. May we continue to look for ways to always increase who is doing God’s work, for the sake of our neighbor.