The Good Samaritan
Public Meeting, Week 8, Sem 2, 2022
We’ve come to a passage in the Bible that’s incredibly well-known. In fact, there are laws today named after this parable. Even if you’re not a Christian, you would have to admit the impact of this passage on our society. Fun fact: Seinfeld, NCIS, Blacklist, Agents of SHIELD all have episodes titled the Good Samaritan. And if you’re cheapo like me, you can buy your clothes from Good Sammys. If you don’t know what that is, it’s a second-hand shop where donations are sold to provide employment opportunities and pathways for people with disability. To help others. After all, that’s what a Good Samaritan is right? What else can it be? Let’s have a look.
Luke 10:25 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.”
So the question to Jesus was this, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” which I’ve always thought is a weird choice of words. It’s illogical because an inheritance by definition is not something that comes by you doing something. I suppose you could always murder your parents to get an inheritance. But an inheritance comes not by what you do, it’s by who you are – an heir. You might say I’m just nit-picking, but the guy who asks the question is a lawyer, the most nit-picky group of people ever. Jesus’ response is telling. It feels confrontational, like saying “you’re a lawyer, what do you think?” And the lawyer answers correctly. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, strength and your neighbour as yourself. But notice Jesus says, “do this and you will live.” He doesn’t say do this and you will inherit eternal life. That’s what the lawyer asks originally, remember that?
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 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.
Such a lawyer response isn’t it. Who is my neighbor? And Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan. First of all, what’s really interesting is how situated this parable is. Jesus is specific about the man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. Most other parables are non-specific. Where is the field in the parable of the sower? Or the treasure? Where is the parable of the vineyard at? It doesn’t say because it doesn’t matter. Here it does because the journey from Jerusalem to Jericho is an infamous road. It’s highly dangerous because of the likelihood of getting robbed. Imagine a dark alley in the townships of Johannesburg or the slums of Port Moresby or even the favelas of Sao Paolo. That’s the kind of place this man was in when he got attacked, robbed, and left for dead. What else did you expect to happen?
But hey, it’s his lucky day because guess who just happens to come along? A priest. Imagine going to a foreign country and getting robbed, but right outside the only English-speaking Anglican church. It’s your unlucky lucky day. They’ll help you surely. But when the priest sees the man, he doesn’t just ignore him like how you ignore people handing out flyers on the streets. He goes to the other side. I’ll be honest with you guys, I think I would do the same. You know why? Think about where you are! He could be a bait to lure you in. Who knows right? Better safe than sorry. Who travels along this road alone anyway? What if he has covid?
Next is the Levite, who were the people who facilitated the affairs of the temple. But here’s the important distinction, the Levites were also the ones who served as state administrators. In areas like the judiciary or education. I suppose a Levite coming along is like you getting robbed outside the Australian embassy. Lucky right? No. The hero of the story is a Samaritan. That’s like getting attacked and being chanced upon by a terrorist who not only stops to render aid, he carries you to the hospital and pays for your treatment. He’s put himself at great risk to help you at great cost to himself. Then Jesus asks the lawyer,
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.”
Be A Good Samaritan?
One way to read this passage is by hearing Jesus telling the lawyer that everyone is your neighbour. You should love everyone. Likewise today, we should help anyone who needs help. We have a duty, whether they deserve it or not doesn’t matter. Be a good Samaritan! And yet, I don’t think that’s actually the point. All we have to do is think about it.
If Jesus wanted the lawyer to love everyone as his neighbor, wouldn’t it make more sense for the Samaritan to be the one attacked and a godly Jew comes along and helps him despite his race. That would make more sense to everyone especially the lawyer. But Jesus doesn’t tell the parable this way. It’s the Samaritan who is rendering aid and he tells the lawyer to do likewise, to be a Samaritan? It’s upside-down. Not only that, if the Samaritan is really the standard for us to reach, all of us will have no hope. It’s impossible. Here’s what I think is the point of parable. And it’s in v.36.
36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”
Notice Jesus didn’t actually answer the lawyer’s question – who is my neighbor. He doesn’t ask the lawyer who is your neighbor. The question is who has been a neighbor to you. Who has shown by his actions that he is your neighbor. To love you and care for you at great risk and cost to himself. When we are not just half dead, but dead in our sin, who came to us and brought us back to life? Who’s the Good Samaritan in the parable? I think there’s only one obvious answer – Jesus.
Let me put it another way for you. When you read the parable, who do you compare yourself to? Do you read it and think don’t be like the priest or the Levite. Be like the Samaritan. Is that what you think the parable is doing? No. We are the one lying on the road half dead. And unless someone comes along and intervenes directly, we would all die. No question about it. Religion can’t help us. Secular liberalism can’t help us either.
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.”
Choose The Good Samaritan
What the parable of the Good Samaritan shows us is the futility of thinking we have the power to somehow secure eternal life. Whether someone is a religious person or a non-religious atheist doesn’t matter at all. Both the priest and the Levite offered no salvation. Where does salvation come from? Where you least expected, in the most unpredictable manner, Jesus carrying us out of danger at great risk to himself. Bearing our guilt and paying our debts at great cost to himself.
It’ll be nice if we could illustrate what the parable is saying. There are two ways to be accepted by God and inherit eternal life. We either earn it by our performance or look to the one who truly is the Good Samaritan. That’s exactly what we have in the next passage. Mary and Martha represent the two ways of trying to please God. We can be like Martha who goes from one thing to another constantly doing the right thing. And Mary who simply sat at Jesus’ feet. I think it’s pretty obvious what the Bible is saying.
42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Jesus is the true Good Samaritan. Choose the good portion. Sit yourself at the feet of the Good Samaritan who will never be taken away from you.