The Good Samaritan

In Luke 10:25 “a certain lawyer” asked Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responded with a question: “What is written in the law?” (v. 26). The lawyer replied, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and, ‘your neighbor as yourself’” (v. 27). Upon hearing this, Jesus said, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live” (v. 28). That raised another question from the lawyer: “And who is my neighbor?” (v. 29), an attempt to minimize his obedience by suggesting that only a few people qualified for his love. In answer, Jesus told what would become a famous parable: The parable of the Good Samaritan (vs. 30-36).

Jesus began: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead” (v. 30). I had the privilege several years back to travel through the land of Israel. I was on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho, though I was headed in the opposite direction, going from Jericho to Jerusalem. When Jesus said the man “went down from Jerusalem to Jericho,” he meant just that. Jericho is about 17 miles northeast of Jerusalem and eight miles west of the Jordan river, a short distance off the northern coast of the Dead Sea. It is about a 3800 foot drop in elevation from Jerusalem “down” to Jericho and the Dead Sea.

When Jesus said he “fell among thieves,” that was no surprise. Even today the road, though now paved, still curves this way and that, back and forth, through the wilderness of Jericho. It is rocky and treacherous, with many caves. Thieves hid in the caves, from which they would surprise the unsuspecting traveler. This was a common occurrence along the road to Jericho, making this a believable story for this lawyer.

Now the lawyer hears what amounts to a reversal of roles. The Priest and the Levite were devout Jews. He would expect them to be the “good guys.” But they refuse to help (vs. 31-32). Perhaps they were concerned with defiling themselves. Maybe they were simply in a hurry and didn’t want to take the time to get involved. Jesus doesn’t say. However, the Samaritan, a half Jew who compromised in religious matters, the one the lawyer would expect to be the “bad guy,” when he came by, he not only stopped to help but takes the injured man to a nearby inn and pays for his care (vs. 33-35). We are told the Samaritan “had compassion” (v. 33).

Apart from the unexpected reversal of roles, the story again was very believable. I am sure the lawyer pictured a certain inn along that road. Inns were scarce, but it is well-known that such an inn did exist in Jesus’ day, not far up the road from Jericho. I was able to visit the inn while in Israel. The closed-up structure standing there today dates from several hundred years later, but the ruins of the stables in the back date from the time of Christ, indicating that just such an inn stood in that very place when Jesus was telling the story. Perhaps this lawyer had even stayed there on occasion.

What does this story teach us? Jesus asked the lawyer, “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” (v. 36). The lawyer had to swallow hard as he said, “He who showed mercy on him” (v. 37). He couldn’t even name the Samaritan. Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise” (v. 37). Jesus was looking for absolute obedience. The neighbor here was not someone the Samaritan knew or even someone of the same race, just someone in need. The Samaritan knew how to treat his neighbor. When you truly love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and you love your neighbor as yourself, you will be available to help whoever it is that needs help. This is the kind of love that proves your faith in Jesus. Amen.