Welcome to Week 6 of “He Gave Us Stories,” our series exploring the parables Jesus told. This week brings us to Luke chapter 10 and the Parable of the Good Samaritan. One of the most familiar of the parables, this narrative has some very contemporary application to the world we live in today.
Let’s get started!
Index to Days 2 through 5
Day 1
The Setup
Observe
Jesus had sent the twelve disciples out in Luke 9:1-6. At the start of chapter 10 he appoints 72 others (10:1-12) and sends them out as well. When the 72 return, there is a time of public celebration and remarks, followed by a private conversation with his disciples. Immediately following his private remarks to his disciples, a lawyer pops up (“And behold” v.25) to test Jesus.
Luke 10:25-29
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he 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 neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Deuteronomy 6:5
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Leviticus 19:18
18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Isaiah 58:5-9
5
Is such the fast that I choose,
a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call this a fast,
and a day acceptable to the Lord?
6
“Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
Matthew 22:34-40
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Mark 12:28-34
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
In Matthew 22:34-40, when the Pharisees catch wind of the fact that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees as they attempted to trap him with a question about marriage after the resurrection, the Pharisees take their shot, asking Jesus what the greatest commandment was. (A similar account is found in Mark 12:28-34.) The answer Jesus gives to the question about the greatest, or first, commandment in those cases is the same answer the lawyer gives in today’s passage to the question Jesus asks him, that is, what does the law say I have to do to inherit eternal life. What is the significance of these similar answers? It means Jesus wasn’t offering new information in Matthew chapter 22. The experts in the law knew that it commanded them to love God with everything they had and love their neighbor as they love themselves. Today’s passage reveals how the wicked hearts of people try to rationalize their disobedience to God’s law and justify themselves in their own sight, and perhaps in God’s sight as well. The lawyer asked “And who is my neighbor?” The Parable of the Good Samaritan wasn’t told from out of nowhere, it was designed to rebuke a wicked practice and correct an error that struck at the very heart of the law.
- What is something you know God wants, yet you still find yourself rationalizing your reluctance to do it?
- Why do you think the lawyer’s rationalization focused on the identity of his neighbor?
Heavenly Father, how quick I am to rationalize my stubborn disobedience. Your word today is what it always has been, there are no surprises for me. I have known and understand that it is your will for me to love my neighbor. Yet when that drives me outside of my comfort zone, I hesitate and delay. Forgive me for that, Lord, and strengthen my resolve to extend mercy to all who need it. Amen.
Day 2
Blame the Victim
Observe
Jesus sets up the circumstances: a solo traveler had taken the road from Jerusalem to Jericho (a journey of about 18 miles) and along the way was beaten by robbers and left for dead.
Luke 10:30-32
30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
The journey Jesus refers to was along a road that had many ravines and other geographical features nearby making it possible for bandits to hide and prey on travelers. So much so that the ominous title “the Bloody Way” had been given to the route. One did not travel such a road at night, a fact Jesus underscored by mentioning the inn. It was expected that you planned to travel to the inn, spend the night, and set out again in daylight. It was also unwise to travel alone, although all three of the individuals in today’s verses (the man beaten by robbers, the priest, and the Levite) are all described as traveling alone. It would have been easy for the lawyer, hearing Jesus’ tale, to think the man brought this upon himself by traveling alone. Jesus was always perfectly and beautifully intentional in his parables, so the presence of the priest and Levite, also solo, would have set aside any attempt to blame the victim. So why a priest and a Levite (someone from the tribe of Levi not descended from Aaron, thus not a priest but a priest’s assistant)? Both a priest and a Levite would have known their obligation under the law. Seeing this Jewish man in distress, they were commanded by God to aid him. Despite that, they avoided him, passing by on the other side of the road.
- Most of us have seen situations where we felt an impulse to get involved and render aid, but for various reasons chose not to. If you can recall such a time, what was it that caused you to decide you shouldn’t get involved?
- Are there circumstances under which not rendering aid is the correct choice?
Dear Lord, we always want to know who is to blame. Just like when your disciples wanted to know whether the blind man had sinned and brought his affliction on himself, or whether it was his parents. You told them it was neither, that he was part of your plan to show your glory. Make me slow to assign blame and quick to offer mercy. Amen.
Day 3
Aid From an Unlikely Source
Observe
Jesus delivers a shocking plot twist. Another solo traveler, this time a Samaritan, from a group of people who, despite having much in common with the Jews, were deeply divided from them and very bitter toward each other.
Luke 10:33
33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.
John 4:7-9
7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
Matthew 10:5-7
5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
To understand the Samaritans, it helps to know where they came from. The kingdom of Israel had split into two countries, the ten northern tribes and the two southern tribes. The northern tribes called themselves Israel and the southern tribes were known as Judah (since Judah was by far the largest land area and one of the two southern tribes, the other being Benjamin). The northern region came to be known as Samaria, in part due to that being the name of its capital city. Over time, numerous invaders conquered portions of the ten northern tribes. One of these, the Assyrians, very purposefully began to interbreed with the people there, creating a half-breed Jewish and Assyrian people. (The Assyrians called the region “Samerina.”) The four northernmost tribes (Asher, Zebulun, Naphtali, and Issachar) managed to avoid being conquered for the most part and, in the time of Jesus, this was the region of Galilee, where the town of Nazareth was located, and where Jesus grew up. The Roman occupation, which began in 63 B.C., was the last in this long line of conquerors, and defined Israel as Galilee to the north, Samaria in the center, and Judea to the south. To the Jews in Judea, the northern area (Galilee) were their poor relations, but still part of the family. But the half-Jewish, half-Assyrian people in Samaria? The Jews hated them. For their part, the Samaritans hated back. They’d even devised their own syncretic worship of Israel’s God Yahweh and the pagan gods of the Assyrians, and had their own center of worship on Mount Gerizim. It might be that the only way a Jew would allow a Samaritan to help them was if they were beaten unconscious by robbers first.
- Israel was deeply divided by religious and racial differences. What divides us today?
- What deepens and perpetuates division?
Heavenly Father, a day does not go by when I don’t feel outraged by the words or actions of someone else. I can’t look at a news story without finding frustration at the wrong-headedness of my fellow humans. I struggle to understand the choices people make, and most often fail in the attempt. Yet you died for these people as well, Lord. Among the people I vehemently disagree are some who call on your name in salvation just as I do. They are my brothers and sisters. Even those who are not of the household of faith are still my neighbor, most of all when they are in need. May I always put your kingdom ahead of any earthly kingdom! Grant me that wisdom. Amen.
Day 4
Aid Both Immediate and Ongoing
Observe
The Samaritan rendered aid to the Jewish man, dealing both with his immediate need for medical care and shelter, but also committed to following up later.
Luke 10:34-35
34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’
Isaiah 1:6
6
From the sole of the foot even to the head,
there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores
and raw wounds;
they are not pressed out or bound up
or softened with oil.
Matthew 20:2
2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
The aid rendered by the Samaritan consisted of three parts. First, he met the immediate physical needs of the Jewish man. He bound his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. This was first century medicine. Wine, of course, has alcohol in it, and we know alcohol can kill germs. But oil can also have an antimicrobial effect when poured in a wound, as it would both irrigate the wound and keep air out. This act would have cost the Samaritan, as oil and wine were not free, and these were part of the Samaritan’s own resources for his trip. Second, the Samaritan set the man on his own animal (read that: got the man into his own car), brought him to an inn and took care of him. There is little doubt this means he brought the man into his own room at the inn and looked after him during the night. This was a fairly intimate level of care, and while it didn’t involve bringing the wounded man into his home, the thought that a Jew and a Samaritan would even share a room at an inn would have been upsetting to both groups. Third and last, the Samaritan paid for the Jewish man to remain at the inn. For perspective, two denarii would’ve been about two days wages for the average person. How much do you make in a day? Double that. Furthermore, the Samaritan committed to following up. He would stop back after his journey, he assured the innkeeper, and reimburse any additional expense related to this man’s care. Again Jesus is perfectly and beautifully intentional in his parable. This care was absolute, meeting the immediate physical needs, setting aside personal discomfort and committing financial resources to the intermediate care, and promising long term follow up care and additional financial resources. You could ask no more of anyone.
- Yesterday, we asked what divides us, and as part of answering that you likely had to consider which side of the division you would feel most at home with. Today, we ask you to imagine that you find someone from the other ideological camp in need of aid, similar to what this Samaritan man did. What thoughts occur to you?
- Jesus gave a detailed and complete description of the aid rendered by the Samaritan man. What might be significant about that?
Dear Jesus, Oh, how you’ve loved me! That you would search for me and save me and make a place for me in your family is too wonderful. There was nothing good in me, yet you loved me enough to die for me. I was dead and you made me alive. Your love did that. How could I not love you? Because of your great love, I commit this day, each day, to follow you and obey your teaching. Amen.
Day 5
No Dodging It
Observe
Finishing his story, Jesus poses a question to the lawyer. After his careful and complete narration of the aid offered by the Samaritan, the lawyer had no wiggle room in his reply.
Luke 10:36-37
36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
Proverbs 14:21
21
Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner,
but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.
Matthew 23:23
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
Micah 6:8
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?
Although we are not told this in the text of this parable, the quick and correct answer by the lawyer to Jesus’ first question should give us some confidence that the lawyer thought he had this one nailed. He was keeping the law, he thought, but Jesus exposed the wicked rationalization behind that by shattering the expectation that only a fellow Jew could be his neighbor. When Jesus asks the second question, the lawyer’s answer indicates that he understood the point Jesus was making. In our modern Christian parlance, it’s become popular to use the phrase “love God, love people” to describe the two meta-commandments Jesus referenced. And they really are at the heart of all the other commandments in the law. Every other more specific requirement can be sourced back to either “we do this because we love God” or “we do this because we love our neighbor.” But sometimes the idea of loving our neighbor becomes watered down. Like the lawyer in this parable, we want our neighbor to be someone who looks like us, thinks like us, and acts like us. We want our neighbor to be someone we are comfortable with. Alternatively, we want the aid we’re called to render to be something that can be done at arm’s length, with little personal investment, in a manner (here’s that word again) that we’re comfortable with. Jesus and the Parable of the Good Samaritan pretty well tosses that out. Love can be radical, love is almost always personal, and love is often uncomfortable.
- How is the Parable of the Good Samaritan speaking to you? What application do you make from it in your life?
- Has this parable caused you to think about those who are on the other side of the cultural divide from you? What thoughts have you had about them as a result?
Heavenly Father, thank you for this parable. Like that lawyer, I think I’m doing the right things. But I have to see a wider and more diverse world out there. Let me learn from the story of the Samaritan and, as you told that lawyer so long ago, go and do likewise. Amen.