The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37

Background

HSM Camp Slide- doing bare minimum

The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-29

A Jewish lawyer asks Jesus what it is that he needs to do to get to heaven

He is correct in his original quotation. He asks, gives the greatest commandment, and Jesus agrees

There seems to be some kind of sarcastic banter that takes place here as Jesus says “you tell me what the law says”

Desiring here to “make himself guiltless” he proceeds to to inquire as to who exactly his neighbor is

“What is the bare minimum I need to do to get into heaven”

We aren’t given clues as to whether his initial question was of sincere intent, but we do know that his second question prompts a response from Jesus that gives us this parable

V 30-32

Man is robbed on his way to Samaria

Samaritan Road slide

He is left “half dead”

A couple things to notice here

this man is traveling alone. It would be almost seen as his own fault that he attempted to go down this road knowing what potentially lie ahead

If left up to his own devices and to fend for himself, he will die

Two men see him

Priest and a Levite

In modern context: a pastor and a volunteer in HSM

Both classes of person were seem as the spiritual groups due to their standing

Priests ran the functions of the temple as descendants of Aaron from Exodus while the remaining Levites performed temple functions

To his Jewish audience addressing the question of a Jewish Lawyer, this would have been exactly who is expected to stop for the man on the side of the road.

We don’t know why they didn’t, we just know they decided not to help

“I can’t touch this man for that would make me unclean and that would interrupt what I've got to do”

“I have to go to the city for an appointment or else I’d help him any day”

“it’s been a busy enough morning and I’ve dealt with enough of people’s problems, someone else will help him”

Are you interruptible?

Are we so married to our lives and our schedules that we miss any opportunity to help those who need it?

Are we seeing opportunities to help others, or are we only giving room for them when it is convenient?

V 33-35

Here comes the villain. The audience’s most hated enemy

Samaritans were seen as “Half-Jews” (Map of Judea and Galilee- (https://www.ingermanson.com/jesus-and-the-bad-samaritans)

They had their own torah and didn’t acknowledge the rest of the OT

They had a separate Temple

They claimed Jewish origin but most believed they didn’t have it

If anyone else tells this story, the samaritan is the one who leaves him for dead and the first two are the ones who save him

He felt deep compassion

In greek, this would be translated to in his bowels as the greeks believed that is where the heart of compassion and care was

Jesus uses this man to illustrate the kindness the first two missed out on

The samaritan uses the supplies he had brought to heal this man

this was a sacrificial giving of what was his. The wine and oil would help to heal and to soothe the wounds

Yet he had clearly brought this for a different purpose. Whether to drink, to sell, or something else we are unsure

But his generosity doesn’t ask the same question the Lawyer asked

He doesn’t seek to do the bare minimum, but rather to give generously

He has no prior contact to this man but we know that he goes above and beyond to do nothing short of saving this man’s life

The crowd has to be livid at this point

How could he paint such a half breed in such a good light? Why do they get the benefit of the doubt?

V 36-37

Jesus then circles back to the end of his story to ask his audience what the point was

Notice that this is one of the few parables where Jesus reflects back to make sure his audience understands the point

Who is the neighbor?

Before the story, the audience would’ve claimed the first two

Bible believing Christians who go to church every Sunday and tithe and pray

But it was the unlikeliest of people who were the heroes

When responding back the Jewish Lawyer is so filled with hate that he cannot even muster the person’s name

Praying for blessing for those who hurt you

Only one person’s sympathy moved them to action

In a world of bystanders who watch on, are we willing to forego our schedule if it means that we are moving according to the spirit?

Application

Who has priority: The spirit or the schedule?

Are we so consumed by doing everything we miss opportunities to love others

We must be interruptible if we are going to have any chance of hearing the Spirit’s movements