The Levite slowly awoke from his concussion-inducted slumber, rubbing his head as he slowly sat up and took in his surroundings.
"Where- where am I?"
The innkeeper comes and dab at his forehead with a rag soaked in cold water from a clay bowl, "You're in my inn in Jericho. You were robbed and a Samaritan saved you."
His eyes widen to where the innkeeper thought they were going to pop from his head.
"A-a-a Samaritan helped me? But I had on my clothes-!"
"I'm sorry, but when he found you, you had nothing else on but your loincloth. Yes, that was all that the robbers left you with."
He has a sudden thought, "Wait, are you a Priest or Scribe of some sort?"
"I'm a Levite."
"Ah. But that doesn't really mean anything, now that the Temple is under Roman control."
It seems that the Levite is going to lose it, but he loses all steam and visibly deflated.
"You're right. When we were free to rule over ourselves, the name of Levi meant something! It meant you were a part of G-d's plan! NOW, I FEEL LESS THAN USELESS!"
Nevertheless, he suddenly lashes out and knocks the clay bowl out of the innkeeper's hands , causing it to fall to the floor and shatter, spilling water everywhere.
"I- I'm sorry! Here let me- oooohhhhh…."
A sudden wave of pain and nausea washes over him, forcing him to lay back down. That, and the innkeeper pushes him back down, not wanting him to get hurt further.
As he cleans up, the Levite crosses his arms and struggles remembering…
He was just outside of Jerusalem, starting on his journey, when a man leading a donkey was heading towards him. Now at any other time, this would be nothing out of the ordinary, but this time it was, because the man was a Samaritan.
"You don't deserve to be anywhere near this holy city, dog! Go back to Samaria and your idols! May G-d strike you dead!"
He ended his cursing with a spit at the man's feet as he walked past him, not looking at the man's face nor caring about what he felt.
A few hours later…
He was down in a deep canyon all alone, mentally reading from one of the many books he owned, when suddenly, robbers appeared.
"Give me everything you have, Levite!"
When he refused, they took out clubs, beat him senseless and took everything.
As hours passed after he regained partial consciousness, he could only try to process through a mental fog what was happening as two of his fellow Jews and members of the Priesthood passed by with only a simple prayer given for him.
With a final prayer, he passed out just as he heard three things: the footsteps of a human, and the clopping and braying of a donkey.
The next week…
As the innkeeper and Levite sat down for dinner, there was a knock at the door. The innkeeper got up and opened it, then started talking with the person outside.
As the Levite waited, he couldn't help but overhear what the conversation was about.
"Shalom, friend. Are you here to spend the night?
"No, no.' The person was a man. 'I'm here because I'm wondering if you need any more money. I also do need a quick bite to eat before heading out. Also, if you could give me some food for the way."
"Of course. And yes, I do need some more money. Please, come inside and wait."
Footsteps come inside as the door is closed. Minutes pass, and the Levite is struggling to hold in his curiosity.
When the innkeeper comes back, he gives some food to the stranger, and as he eats, the innkeeper also gives him a sack full of food.
"Here's enough food for your journey, my friend."
"Thank you, and here's your money. I hope that Levite gets well soon."
At that, the Levite's heart stops. He gets up, goes to the hallway, and is shocked when he sees he was the same Samaritan he spat and jeered on. He whispers in a shocked voice, "You were the one who saved me."
The Samaritan looks at him and replies with a smile, "Yes, yes I am." He looks to both the innkeeper and Levite as he says, "Well, good night and Shalom, my brothers."
As the Samaritan gallops into the night on his donkey, the Levite can't help but watch him in surprise from the doorway as his back recedes. The innkeeper comes behind him and lays his right hand on his shoulder.
"They're not what you expected, are you?"
He walks back to the table to await the Levite after said Levite slowly shakes his head in response to the question.
As he looks up and stares into the starry night sky, he then begins to wonder,
'What else have I been wrong about?'