Scripture: And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 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.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 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. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 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. 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.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” Luke 10:25-37 ESV
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Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, Luke chronicles Jesus’ commissioning of the seventy-two representing the outer circle of his disciples. Their instructions follow a similar pattern to the Twelve’s (see 9:1-6), with a few notable additions:
- go out two by two;
- pray earnestly for kingdom laborers;
- rely on God for protection;
- greet the host with a blessing of peace;
- be hospitable to the host regarding eating and drinking whatever they set before them; and
- heal the sick and pronounce the kingdom of God is upon them.
With their return, the seventy-two, filled with joy, tell Jesus that even demons submit to the authority of his name, but Jesus tells them they should most rejoice in knowing their secure place in his heavenly kingdom.
For today’s reading, Jesus responds to a lawyer’s disingenuous question about the Law regarding eternal life. Wisely, Jesus redirects the question to the lawyer, who rightly draws on Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 to formulate what the historical church calls the Great Commandment. Jesus affirms his response, but the lawyer, seeking to justify himself, asks Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (v.19). To illustrate his answer, Jesus tells a parable known today as The Parable of the Good Samaritan.
As the story goes, a man (assumed to be a fellow Jew) is beaten and robbed by bandits and left for dead on the road to Jericho. A priest and later a Levite pass by the man and do nothing to aid him. But a Samaritan (a half-breed despised by Jews) sees the man and compassionately tends to his needs by bandaging his wounds, taking him to an inn, and paying the innkeeper a generous sum to care for the man until his return trip. Jesus then asks the lawyer which of the three proved to be a neighbor. The lawyer rightly responds, “The one who showed him mercy” (v.37). Seizing the moment, Jesus tells the lawyer to go and do likewise.
Of note: The road from Jerusalem to Jericho descended sharply about seventeen miles. Its serpentine course cut through rocks and crevices, providing an ideal hideout for robbers who preyed on those who traveled alone or in small numbers. Because the priest and Levite were traveling away from Jerusalem, no longer would they be bound by cultic duties and risk defiling the temple and the consequences of excommunication. Thus, even if they supposed the man dead, they could have touched the man to confirm and follow the prescribed three-day purification (Numbers 19:11-13).
Takeaway: Luke uses the Greek word esplanchnisthē (translated as “had compassion” above) to describe the Samaritan’s deep sympathy toward a helpless Jew who lay in agony. Indeed, the storyline starkly contrasts the apathetic religious leaders who ignore the desperate needs of a kindred Israelite to that of an outsider who rises above the prejudices against his minority race to care for a fellow human. Here, Jesus illustrates that pity means nothing without action, for the priest and Levite may have felt momentary compunction but chose not to act on it. Whereas the Samaritan likely offered what resources he had to care for the man:
- his wine to disinfect the wounds;
- his oil to soothe the pain;
- his garment to tear strips for bandaging the wounds;
- his donkey to carry the man;
- his money to pay the innkeeper; and
- his time, not only to attend to the man but to return and pay the balance.
Truly, the Samaritan demonstrated a godly love that spurred pity and moved him to make sacrifices. And this is what the Teller of the story has done for us. Jesus has:
- prepared a table before us with the wine that brings remission of sins (Matthew 26:28);
- soothed our souls with his oil of gladness (Isaiah 61:3);
- bound our wounds by his stripes (1 Peter 2:24);
- carried us from darkness to light (Luke 1:79); and
- paid our debts in full (Colossians 2:14).
So how should we respond? By paying it forward, we expend our God-given resources to lead others to Christ, where they find perfect Love that forgives, heals, and brings life to their suffering souls.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, the lover of our souls who laid it all out for us—holding nothing back to ensure our forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration. We confess, though, that we can quickly lose sight of your and his costly love for us and become selfish of our possessions. So would you please help us submit to the Holy Spirit’s prompts to course corrections where we expend your gifts of time and resources to lead others to your Son? Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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