Room at the Inn

A Reflection on the Gospel for Sunday, July 13th, 2025:
​Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Luke
​10.25-37

A lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus said to him, “What is written in the Law? What do you read there?” The lawyer answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.”

And Jesus said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, the lawyer asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”

Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

“But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

“The next day the Samaritan took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’”

Jesus asked, “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” The lawyer said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

I work for an organization of Christian doctors and dentists who live and work across Canada. This year, we’re entering into a strategic planning process to try and capture God’s vision for the organization over the next 5 years. 

At our initial meeting for the process this year, a lovely and kind doctor from the US came up to guide us through the process. In preparing us, he made a passing remark about the Parable of the Good Samaritan. He asked those of us in the room who we most strongly identified with in this parable.

Several voices admitted there were days when they felt like the man who was half-dead in the ditch. Others said the Samaritan, who saw the man in need and went to his side. But our guide noted that most of us were more likely the Innkeeper—a figure often overlooked in this parable.

The Samaritan did indeed provide roadside care and transportation. He provided mercy when all others ignored the dying man. He was a critical part of getting the man to safety and ensuring his care. But the long-term care of the man—the patient—fell to the Innkeeper.

As people out here in day to day ministry, we so often find ourselves in the role of the Innkeeper. We’re out here, trying to keep things running, and a well-meaning stranger drops a huge care need in our laps. We can be tempted to say that there’s no room at the inn—no margin left in our schedule. We can argue that there’s another inn just a few steps away. We can protest (in reverse of Star Trek’s Dr. McCoy) that “I am an Innkeeper, not a Doctor!”

How many times has our litany of reasons kept us from caring for the person in front of us? How many times have we given in because of perceived earthly rewards (the two denarii in this parable could be attention, acclaim, a sense of accomplishment)? How many times have we taken in the suffering soul at our doorstep only to moan, complain, or make them feel like a burden?

When I find myself in the role of the Innkeeper, I am in an incredibly gifted opposition. I am being invited into the working of grace in the life of another. I need to crush the part inside of me that’s obsessed with the rewards and costs and instead focus on the presence of the Holy Spirit in the moment. Not because I’d like to “do unto others”, although that’s a fine motivation, but rather because my total trust in Christ bleeds into my actions. I trust that if He brings me a soul in need of care, that He will provide me with what I need to do the work. Not because I’m storing graces up in Heaven, but because I want every soul He sends me to experience His grace through me.



Stéphanie Potter

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