The Parable of the Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37

As we continue in this series, "Secrets of the Kingdom: Parables in Luke's Gospel" we now come to one of the most popular parables in all of God's Word. It is one of those stories that you learn in children's Sunday school, Vacation Bible Schools, and sermons. It is one of those stories that makes its way into children's Bible Story Books, coloring books, and Christian activity books. It is a parable that has even made its way into secular society in many ways, but it is a parable that I think has been misapplied more than any other parable in all of the Word of God. It is the parable of the Good Samaritan and it is found in Luke 10:25-37. Let us look at this popular parable that has been misinterpreted and misapplied for decades, if not centuries.

The first thing that we need to see is the Context of the Parable. We discover the parable's context in verses 25-29. If we are going to understand the parable, we must understand the context of the story. Sometimes our familiarity may cause us to think we know what a story really is about and what it was intended to convey, when in fact we don't. We have a tendency to let the Word go in one ear and out the other because, we have heard it all before. This is a story, for most people, about helping someone in need. That's not really the point. This is really a story about how one inherits eternal life because that is the question that initiated the entire conversation in this scripture.

Jesus is asked, what shall I do to inherit eternal life. This lawyer wanted a list of do's and don'ts to follow. The problem however is not so much what you do or don’t do. The problem is who you are! But, Jesus humors him: let us focus on what you must do to inherit eternal life. "What does the Bible say?" he asks. The lawyer replies with the Great Commandment: Love God and love your neighbor. The lawyer clearly had a deep insight into the Scriptures when he could sum up the Law in this way. Now notice what Jesus says to his answer. You have answered correctly! You asked what you should do to inherit eternal life. You answered that you thought you should love God and love your neighbor, and Jesus says….correct! The question arises, Would Jesus mislead this man? Would he lie to him about how to gain eternal life? Of course Jesus could not lie, therefore this must be true and it is. If you live your entire life loving God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving your neighbor like you love yourself…never for one moment fluctuating in your love, you would be perfect! You would never have sinned against God and you would never have sinned against your fellow man. You would be perfect and would therefore inherit eternal life.

Then the lawyer begins to asses himself, and assess himself wrongly! He said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" For most Jews a neighbor was another Jew, not a Samaritan or a Gentile. The Pharisees did not even include all Jews. He said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" He jumped over the loving God part. I'm okay with God.
There is nothing there I need to deal with and I'm okay with my neighbor unless, you have another definition of neighbor. Jesus at that point could have just dismissed him. Instead, he's going to give him one more insight into his own sinfulness. He is going to try one more time to show him his true position before God as a violator of God's Law and one who neither loves God or his neighbor. He will do that through a parable.

We have seen the context of this parable that Jesus shares. Now let us see the Content of the Parable. We read the parable's content in verses 30-35. Remember that a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. This is not a true story, this didn't happen. This particular priest never existed. The Levite never existed. The Samaritan never existed. Jesus made them up!

To be sure that you understand that these are fictional characters, I have given them fictional names…to help act out the scene. The first person we meet, I call Jerry the Jew. We meet him in verse 30. He is beaten, robbed, and left for dead. He was in the process of dying and he was already half-way there. Obviously Jerry is in desperate need for help in this kind of condition on a lonely road. There could be a lot of time pass before anybody came along and there was no guarantee that someone would find him or help him. But then comes along, who I call, Patrick the Priest. We meet Patrick in verse 31. Thank God! Here comes a priest! This is a servant of God, one who offered sacrifices for people in the temple, one who lifted the people up before God, the best of men, and someone who is righteous. He knew the scriptures. He had read Ex 23:4-5 If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him. He knew Mic 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Surely he is a godsend! But, he passed by him on the other side. Jesus uses a verb that has in it the word "anti"to strengthen it, which means that he literally went the opposite direction. Hope fades, but then we meet another character.

Larry the Levite is introduced in verse 32. There is still hope. You see, Levites came from Levi, but not from Aaron so they were lower on the ladder. They were assistants to the priests. The Levites great duty was to preserve the law of God from any form of attack and to see that its requirements were kept. They should have known what the priests knew as well, but…..he passed Jerry the Jew by as well. Hope fades even more, but then another man approaches. There is hope! Who could it be? Oh no! All hope is gone because it is none other than Sammy the Samaritan! We meet Sammy in verses 33-35. The audience would have expected a priest and a Levite to be followed by an Israelite layman. Instead, here comes Sammy the Samaritan. We would assume that this man is not going to be any help at all because the Samaritans and the Jews despised each. Whenever a Jew traveled from north to south, or south to north, the easy way would be to go through Samaria. They never did, they went around it. The worst thing you could call a good Jew was a Samaritan. The Jewish religious leaders called Jesus, in John 8:48 a demon possessed Samaritan. And so here comes a Samaritan. Not only is he a stranger, but he's an enemy and there's a tremendous amount of racism between the two. It looks like all hope is gone, but he came upon him and instead of going the other direction, when he saw him he felt compassion.

Now remember that this is a made up story. Jesus deliberately chose an outsider, and a hated one at that, for his hero. Jesus introduction of Sammy the Samaritan was thus devastating. This Samaritan went the extra mile. He gave up his own drink and his own oil, his own clothing to bandage the wounds, his own transportation, his own money to provide a room for him indefinitely. He set his whole agenda aside.

And that is the story. A story which seems to be about being neighborly, loving others, and doing to others as you would have them do to you. Those are good things to get from the parable, but they are not the message of the parable. Now that everyone is shocked out of their mind, Jesus ends his story...but we will see that next time. Until then...