The parable of the good Samaritan involves a man who went out of his way to help a person who had been attacked by thugs, robbed and basically left unconscious on the side of the road. Several people walked around the man, before the good Samaritan arrived, bandaged the man’s wounds and then transported him to a nearby inn and paid for the man’s stay until he was healed (Luke 10:25-37).

Based on this story, Samaritan’s Purse, an organization currently headed by Franklin Graham, provides financial and medical assistance to areas hit by disaster. They will bring in doctors and nurses and provide medical aid at no charge to anyone who needs it.

So when officials at New York’s City’s Mount Sinai Health System called Samaritan’s Purse for help in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, the organization immediately responded.

At no charge to New York City or the state, Samaritan’s Purse set up a 68 person field hospital in Central Park and immediately began treating people.

In an interview with Faithwire, Franklin Graham said:

“All our services have been paid for by God’s people.”

That means all the salaries, medical supplies, medicine and equipment were paid for by donations. New York did not have to pick up the tab for anything.

But the Evangelical organization made a big mistake. It decided to help the people of New York City longer than 14 days and according to state law when a person works in the state longer than two weeks they are required to pay New York State income taxes.

They had to pay taxes in New York, even though they were not taking any income from businesses and organizations in New York.

But there is something even more disturbing.

These people not only have to pay income tax on any money paid by Samaritan’s Purse, but according to WPIX TV, they also must pay New York taxes on any money they earned in their home state during their stay, unrelated to their work in New York City.

Some would call that robbery.

All because they were willing to help New Yorkers during a time of need. And in addition to this, it is a bureaucratic nightmare as they will have to make filings for a full year.

Even Samaritan’s Purse could be subject to taxes and it will now be forced to register with the state government.

When asked why people who volunteered to help New York in its time of crisis, must now pay its income tax, Gov. Andrew Cuomo responded:

“We’re not in a position to provide any subsides right now because we have a $13 billion deficit.”

I am sure the thugs felt the same way as the man they robbed also had money they didn’t have.

So in the Broadway remake of the Good Samaritan, we have the guy that got beat up played by the sick people of New York City and the Good Samaritan who helped out of his own pocket played by Samaritan’s Purse.

So who would play the thugs that beat up the man and robbed him? I would nominate New York State Gov. Cuomo and his ilk. They seem to fit the role.

So, all we have left is to find some to play the roles of the people who walked around the poor man lying by the road?

They could be played by “so-called” progressive politicians and LGBTQ activists protesting Samaritan’s Purse hospital in New York City because it holds to a Biblical view of marriage. Some even demanded that Samaritan’s Purse be forced to leave the city. It seems, they would prefer people remain sick over getting “free” medical assistance from a Christian organization.

And as they protested, the doctors and nurses of Samaritan’s Purse risked their lives providing ‘free’ medical assistance to the 300 people it helped who had come down with the virus.

We have all the actors, now all we need is someone to write the script.

Sources:

Samaritan’s Purse, other workers who came to NY for coronavirus fight must pay tax, Cuomo says: Fox News

New York is charging Samaritan’s Purse Income Tax after the Charity worked for free: Faithwire

Health workers that volunteered to come to NY during pandemic have to pay state income tax: Cuomo: WPIX TV