Picture in Focus: The Good Samaritan by Jaroslav Vodrazka

September 26, 2021

Picture in Focus: The Good Samaritan by Jaroslav Vodrazka

And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted [Jesus], saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all they strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And [Jesus] said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But [the lawyer], willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? (Luke 10:25-29, KJV)

We turn this week to the second greatest of Christ's Parables, the story of the Good Samaritan, a title that has come to be universally applied to strangers who go out of their way to help others in need. The lawyer who asked Jesus the blunt question of "who is my neighbor?" was certainly not expecting it would be a Samaritan, a kindred people long at emnity with the Jews over religious practices.  But it is precisely a much-hated "heretic" who comes to the aid of a Jew, robbed and left for dead at the side of the road in the parable Jesus tells. Czech Printmaker Jaroslav Vodrazka captures this moment of cross cultural encounter in a book plate etching, portraying the Samaritan as a magus-like figure robed in black with a curious top hat, who would have appeared strange, indeed, to the injured man, as he regained consciousness!  The new print can be found in the gallery of the Vodrazka profile in the Sacred Artists section below a book plate print of the Prodigal Son. (John Kohan)