BE
THE GOOD NEIGHBOR
Luke
10:30-37
Susie: Jesus
used the following story to answer the lawyer’s question, “Who is my neighbor?”
Susan: The
expert in Jewish law had the arrogance to think his question would have Jesus
scratching his head. Of course, it did not.
Luke
10:30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to
Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded
him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
Susie: The
road from Jerusalem to Jericho was a steep descent and known to be a favorite
hiding place of thieves.
Susan: The
thieves would lie in wait and ambush their unsuspecting victim. The man was
mugged. The thieves took everything he had—provisions for the journey, money,
and even his clothes—and almost his very life.
Susie: They
beat the man mercilessly and left him for dead on the side of the road.
Luke
10:31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw
him, he passed by on the other side.
Susan: The
Jewish priest did not even stop. He even moved to the other side of the road to
avoid the man completely.
Susie: Why
would this supposed “man of God” do that?
Susan: He
could have been motivated by fear that the assailants were lying in wait
nearby. Or he could have been “devoted” to his duty, knowing that he could not
perform his priestly role if he were unclean due to touching the man’s blood.
Susie: We are
not told whether the injured man was a Jew or not, but the assumption seems to
be that he was. This priest put his outward duties of performing rituals ahead
of his duty to love others in the name of the Lord.
Susan: The
priest was putting his responsibilities ahead of the life of this man.
Luke
10:32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him,
and passed by on the other side.
Susie: A
Levite was a man descended from Levi but not from Aaron. Those descended from
Aaron served as priests, and the other Levites served as assistants to the
priests.
Susan: The
Levite had the same response to the man as had the priest, avoiding touching or
even approaching him, probably for the same reasons.
Susie: The
point is that neither the priest nor the Levite did anything to help the wounded
traveler who was most likely a fellow Jew.
Luke
10:33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he
saw him, he had compassion on him,
Susie: Next,
a despised Samaritan enters the scene. Samaritans were descendants of Jews who
intermarried with their Gentile captors. They also mixed Judaism with pagan
worship. They were viewed as half-breeds and thought of and treated like
Gentiles.
Susan: The
Samaritan saw the man’s situation and put his needs above his own. He had
empathy for the man, asking himself what he would want someone to do for him if
the situation were reversed. He put aside any cultural angst between Jews and
Samaritans and viewed the injured man as a fellow human being.
Luke
10:34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and
set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
Susan: The
Samaritan went into immediate triage mode.
Susie: The
Samaritan took out his traveler’s first aid kit containing antiseptic wine and
soothing oil and took care of the man’s injuries.
Susan: He put
him on his own animal (probably a donkey) and cared for him all night at the
nearest inn.
Luke
10:35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them
to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest
more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
Susan: He
arranged for the injured man’s lodging and care until he was well enough to
continue his journey under his own power.
Susie: He
paid the inn keeper two days’ wages and promised to recompense anything else he
spent on the man’s care when he returned that way.
Luke
10:36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell
among the thieves?
Susan: Jesus
the confronted the expert in the law by asking him which of these three—the
priest, the Levite, or the Samaritan—was neighborly toward the wounded
traveler.
Luke
10:37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go,
and do thou likewise.
Susie: The
expert in the Law rightly responded that the one who showed mercy, the
Samaritan behaved like a neighbor.
Susan: Jesus
told him to go and imitate or emulate the Samaritan.
Susie: That
had to sting. Jesus was using a Samaritan as the example of how to be a good
neighbor. The expert in the Law was looking for a definition of whom he had to
love. Jesus gave him an example of how to demonstrate love to all people as
your neighbors.
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