In the parable, ‘The Good Samaritan’ Jesus taught us that everyone is our neighbour no matter their background, therefor we must help everyone in need. The good Samaritan is a parable told by Jesus to a lawyer. In the story, a Jew was going on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by bandits who stole his money and clothes, beat him up and left him on the side of the road. When a priest passed by, he avoided the man. The temple assistant did the same. A despised Samaritan came along and saw the man on the ground and helped him. The Samaritan took the man to an inn and looked after him. At the end of the parable, Jesus told the lawyer to go and do the same as the good Samaritan. Caroline Chisholm was inspired by this parable to help everyone in need. She helped young men and women, no matter their background by providing them with a home, food, finding them a job and teaching them how to work. Most of the people she helped where in need, after spending most of their money to make it to Australia. In the modern error, many people follow by ‘The Good Samaritan’ and Caroline Chisholm’s life. In everyday life people are being good Samaritans by helping their friends and helping strangers; helping people in need. People have been motivated to help the poor and others in need, such as Rosies, Orange Sky Australia, CARE Australia. Rosies reaches out to people who have been isolated from communities. Orange Sky Australia connects with homeless people by washing their clothes and providing showers. Care Australia focuses on helping poverty and ending hunger all over the world; no matter their race or ethnicity.

 

Every time Caroline Chisholm saw someone in need, she helped them. When there was bad working and living conditions for immigrants to Australia, she provided them with homes, work and education. When it came to her realisation that parents had to leave their children in Europe to come to Australia, she sent letters to many members of authority. When she saw a need for education for young girls, she provided education. This is a clear example of Chisholm loving her neighbour; Caroline Chisholm taught a young woman from right to wrong. Months later, Chisholm ran into the young woman again, but she was drunk and distressed. This young woman was pregnant and was going to commit suicide. Caroline Chisholm helped the young woman to become stable and better and provided her with suitable accommodation. This is similar to how the Good Samaritan healed the man’s wounds and provided him with shelter.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]”

²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii^[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

When Caroline Chisholm asked God to help her with desperate women in need, she would pray and fast. This is evidential through her statement, “I was impressed with the idea that God had, in a peculiar manner, fitted me for this work; and yet I hesitated… my delay pressed on my mind as a sin; and when I heard of a poor girl suffering distress and losing her reputation in consequences, I felt that I was not clear of her sin, for I did not do all I could to prevent it. During the season of Lent that year, I suffered much; but on Easter Sunder I was enabled, at the altar of our Lord, to make an offering of my talents to the God who gave them… I felt my offering was accepted and God’s blessing was on my work.”

Caroline Chisholm also lives by the scripture, Mathew 22:37-39, ‘Jesus replied, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’.” Caroline was devoted to God and Jesus and she demonstrated her love for others through helping everyone in need by providing jobs, home and education.

GENTLEMEN,—A number of poor parents having represented to me the fact that they had to leave one or more of their children at home, on account of demands made for them on the eve of their embarkation, which they could not afford to meet, and which I brought to the notice of Government, may I request you will do me the favour, previous to my leaving the colony, to convey to them, through the medium of your columns, the glad tidings that his Excellency the Governor has been pleased to comply so far with my application on their behalf as to cause the Honorable the Colonial Secretary to write to me as follows : "All the Governor can do is, to promise bounty on children who may have been left at home by parents who emigrated prior to the 31st of December, 1841, and who were themselves eligible for bounty. Of course, however, the children themselves must be in sound bodilyand mental health at the time of their arrival in the colony; and if girls, they must come out under proper protection." Also, I have been further advised, that detailed instructions will be shoitly published by the Immigration Agent. To those immigrants who arrived subsequent to this period, and are similarly situated, and to whom the same indulgence has not yet been extended, I can only at present hold out the hope that the same humane consideration on the part of his Excellency the Governor which led to the granting of the first, will also on due application yield the same generous boon to the other ; no exertion on my part shall be wanting, as far as my limited means will allow, I will endeavour to supply the absence of parents to those children, in making those family arrangements which an agent could not be expected to perform. I embrace this opportunity of stating the gratifying fact, that a very considerable number of immigrants have so far improved in their circumstances as to have intimated to me their intention and willingness to pay, in numerous instances, for the passage of their aged parents and for the younger members of their families, and to this I most deferentially beg to call the attention of the public, and the Board of Immigration, and to suggest that this generous and praiseworthy feeling should be met by a spirit of liberal co-operation on the part of the authorities, so that this desirable object may be accomplished, viz., the union of families, and which would be so beneficial to the parties themselves and to the public at large. My attention has been particularly directed to that evil of extracting small sums of money, year after year, from the immigrants here, to alleviate the distress of their poor relatives at home, with no permanent benefit to the parties—hundreds, to my knowledge, have sent home 30 per cent. of their earnings in this colony ; the numerous letters it has been my painful lot to read, within the last three months, tell a fearful tale of the sufferings of the people at home—parents struggling with want, and children inmates of the poor-house. A poor woman in her statement to me says, "how can I enjoy my beef, my tea, when just as I

raise it to my mouth the thought comes that my mother perhaps is dying for want ?" What therefore, those poor and respectable individuals desire is, a passage for their relations at the Government rate of contract, on the renewal of emigration, as well as the usual protection and medical aid afforded to bounty emigrants. It may not be also irrelevant to remark that it is my humble opinion that a number of the

better off order of peasantry would prefer paying for a portion of their passage, than their coming out entirely as bounty emigrants, for the love of independence beats strong within the bosom of a British peasant.

I remain, Gentlemen,

Yours, respectfully,

CAROLINE CHISHOLM.

Sydney, March 6.

22nd June, 1847 :

" I have every reason to hope that I shall to a

certain extent get female emigration taken up at the

expense of the home Government. Indeed, it is ten

days since Earl Grey sanctioned my sending in to

the Government a list of applicants; but although

Captain Chisholm and myself are continually at

work, the clerical labor is too much, and my success

is thus constantly impeded.

" Now, if I get this boon, of which Earl Grey

told me that 'he could certainly hold out hopes,' the

responsibility becomes a serious matter, Who will

aid me in carrying out my views of country dis-

persion? Would a few gentlemen in Sydney form

themselves into a society and become the head for

country committees, -two or three gentlemen in

each district would be sufficient?

" I believe there are several thousand eligible

emigrants, the families of emancipists. I hope in

writing me you will urge sending the boys above

fourteen years of age. This separation falls heavy,

and excludes from the benefit a most useful class of

young men. I have been procuring a passage for

many who are too poor to join their husbands. It

will be a great charity if you and a few gentlemen

would move in this matter, and adopt some system

that would enable me to send the families, while the

government are disposed to meet the expense.

"I have just left the Home Office, and have ob-

tained a passage per Waverley for forty-nine souls,

and I have no doubt but other ships will soon fol-

low. I enclose you a list of the names and particu-

lars of those families, which I will thank you to go

published for the information of their relatives in the

colony."

List of Emancipists' Families who have obtained a

a free passage to proceed by the ship Waverley,

bound for Hobart Town ;-to sail from Dublin,

July 1, 1847.

Catherine Agnew, 3 sons; husband's residence,

Maneroo, Steward Riley's Station.

Alicia Agnew, 2 sons and 2 daughters; husband's

residence, Maneroo, Steward Riley's Station.

Margaret Curran, 1 son and 2 daughters ; husband's

residence, Maitland.

Mary Grady, 4 daughters; husband's residence,

Maitland.

Catherine Malony, 3 daughters ; husband's resi-

dence, McDonald River, Fleming's Farm.

Anne McGinn, 3 daughters.

Mary O'Brien, 1 daughter.

Margaret Tighe, 1 daughter ; husband's residence,

Wollongong.

Margaret Tilson, 1 daughter ; husband's residence,

Ultimo, Sydney.

Margaret Walker, 5 in this family, husband's resi-

dence, Port Macquarie.

Mary Maddington, daughter of J. Maddington,

Windsor, Parramatta Road.

CAROLINE CHISHOLM.

London, June 25, 1847.

 

In the Rerum Novarum, it states, ‘If the needs of the common labourers are met, then they are more productive and those with capital benefit as well.’ This means that the employers and workers were both able to benefit by being more productive if the needs of the common labourers were met. Caroline Chisholm followed this by sending letters and addressing to the public and member of authority about the need for improvement in working and living conditions of immigrants in Australia.

 

It also states that ‘To obtain profit and in the process cause another to be needy is morally wrong.’ In this, Pope Leo states that obtaining profit at someone else’s expense does not follow the teachings and beliefs of Christians. Chisholm lived by this through not gaining any profit from her missionary work but doing it for the purpose of helping others.

 

Another extract is, ‘When one is blessed with material wealth, one should use this to benefit as many others as possible.’ This means that it is the duty of the people who obtain wealth to help the less fortunate. Caroline Chisholm and her husband obtained wealth but did not use this for themselves. They used this to help people in need by setting up homes, providing food, finding jobs and educating. 

 

‘No one should be forced to share his goods as that would be stealing.’ This means that everyone has the right to keep their own things, but it is going against Christian values not to share. Caroline Chisholm is a good example of someone who shared when someone was in need, she shared her belongings and even her home.  

 Briitannica. (2019). Caroline Chisholm. Retrieved from https://school.eb.com.au/levels/high/article/Caroline-Chisholm/82201

 Caroline.org. (2018). Caroline Chisholm (1808-1877). Retrieved from https://caroline.org.au/about-caroline-chisholm/

 Ducksters. (2019). Industrial Revolution Working Conditions. Retrieved from https://www.ducksters.com/history/us_1800s/working_conditions_industrial_revolution.php

 Iltis, J. (2019). Chisholm, Caroline (1808–1877). Retrieved from http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/chisholm-caroline-1894

 Mrschisholm. (2009). TIME-LINE — CAROLINE AND ARCHIBALD CHISHOLM [PDF]. Retrieved from https://mrschisholmdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/time-line.pdf

 Museums Victoria Collections. (2019). Letter - Caroline Chisholm to Madam of 14 King's Square, Gosnell Street, London, 20 Oct 1848. Retrieved from https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/1471235

 Preceden. (2019). Caroline Chisholm. Retrieved from https://www.preceden.com/timelines/143752-caroline-chisholm-

 Rosies. (2019). Our friends new beginings. Retrieved from http://rosies.org.au/spring18/

 The Archdiocese I. (2019). Reflections. Retrieved from https://www.cam.org.au/News-and-Events/Reflections/Article/7884/caroline-chisholm-the-emigrants-friend#.XQf_EdMzZ0u

 The Industrial Revolution. (2019). Working Conditions. Retrieved from https://firstindustrialrevolution.weebly.com/working-and-living-conditions.html

 Thefamouspeople. (2019). Caroline Chisholm Biography. Retrieved from https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/caroline-chisholm-7129.php

 Trove. (2019). Female emigration. Retrieved from https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/31754254

 Trove. (2019). To the Editors of the Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12886379
Bible Gateway (2019) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A25-37&version=NIV

What message does this story have for us today? We have to be nice and helpful to others in need - no matter their background or beliefs. 
Who are examples of the “main character” in our society today?                                                   |  Rosies |  Orange Sky Australia |  CARE Australia | 
What do they do to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and in inspiring human dignity and human rights. |  Rosies reaches out to people who have been isolated from communities.      |  Orange Sky Australia connects with homeless people by washing their clothes and providing showers. |  Care Australia focuses on helping poverty and ending hunger all over the world; no matter their race or ethnicity. | 
Who would a target audience be TODAY for this text and WHY?      |   Everyone because we should all be good neighbours to eachother
How and WHY do you think this miracle story/parable may have inspired your reformer?   | Caroline Chisholm was inspired by this parable to help everyone in need. She helped young men and women, no matter their background by providing them with a home, food, finding them a job and teaching them how to work. Most of the people she helped where in need, after spending most of their money to make it to Australia.