When considering the good Samaritan most people think the parable is about being a good person to others. However, the context surrounding the parable reveals its purpose is often misunderstood. As we have seen, the immediate context of Luke 10 reveals two sets of questions between Jesus and the self justifying lawyer. What’s more, the questions exposed the lawyer’s motives, leading Jesus to tell perhaps the most well known parable of all time.
You can read the two previous blogs regarding this exchange here:
Loving your neighbor in a day of viral madness
Jesus And The Motives Of The Self Justifying Lawyer
Jesus has already exposed the lawyer’s motives in the first set of questions. We are told that this lawyer was out to “test Jesus.” However, unbeknownst to the lawyer, Jesus was turning the tables and putting him to the test. Secondly, the lawyer’s motives were further revealed in the next exchange with Jesus. It is here that we are told that the lawyer was seeking to “justify himself.”
Lawyer’s motive for the first exchange = test Jesus:
Luke 10:25-37 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.”
Lawyer’s motive for the second exchange = justify himself:
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.
The Good Samaritan
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.”
Breaking down the two sets of questions
First Exchange:
Lawyer: What must I do to inherit eternal life?
Jesus: What does the law say?
Lawyer: Love God with all your heart, soul, strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus: Correct, do this and live.
Second Exchange:
Lawyer: Who is my neighbor?
Jesus: The parable culminates in a final question: “Which of these three proved to be a neighbor?”
A man was on his way to Jericho when he was attacked, robbed, and left for dead. Moreover, three people stumbled upon the half dead man. The first was a priest, followed by a Levite, and lastly, an unlikely Samaritan. Why did the priest and Levite pass by the needy man? Perhaps the priest had left Jerusalem having completed his temple duties. As a priest, the lawyer knew that he couldn’t touch a dead man or else he would have been defiled. And if defiled, he would need to return to the temple in Jerusalem and seek to be purified. Was that why the priest did not help the man? Maybe, or perhaps he was concerned for his own safety and the possibility of falling to the same fate. Either way, we can only speculate.
Next, a Levite also ignored the half dead man. Here again, we are not told why he ignored the man. While this might be interesting conjecture, it is not the point Jesus is making by telling the parable.
Finally, we are told that a Samaritan comes upon this man. Now, it is not by accident that Jesus tells the parable and makes the hero of the story to be a Samaritan. Indeed, Samaritans and Jews hated each other. What’s more, their hatred goes back to the OT when the Jews and Samaritans began to marry each other while in Assyrian captivity. Consequently, the Jewish and Samaritan religions were blended. The Samaritans even had their own Jerusalem (Samaria) which housed their own temple which the Jews dutifully destroyed!
A History Of Hatred
Consequently, Jews and Samaritans have a history of intense hatred toward each other. We are to read, shockingly, that the half dead man was helped by a….Samaritan! In conclusion, Jesus presents his final question. Which of the three was a neighbor to this man? The lawyer was stuck! In other words, the pressure was on as he had initiated this public display of Q&A to trap Jesus! Painfully, he must answer the question. I wonder, did he stutter as he uttered the words, “the Samaritan was the neighbor…” Lastly, Jesus responded simply: “go and do likewise.”
Worship and the heart of the matter
Remember, the lawyer desired a simple to-do list in an effort to gain eternal life. However, Jesus wasn’t interested in his religious activity. Instead, he wanted the lawyer’s heart. Likewise, our hearts are inclined to be like this lawyer. We, like the lawyer, might know the right answers to the questions. We often think in terms of right answers and commandments. Jesus thinks in terms of one’s heart of worship. Jesus’ point is that a heart of worship, not religious activity, is what will lead us neighborly activity.
For those who are self justifying, answers and actions are what’s primary. For Jesus, the motives that are driving the actions are key!
You see, the parable reveals the first two men didn’t just have an action issue. More importantly, they had a heart issue. Therefore, Jesus did not lead the lawyer to simply do the right actions. Instead, he lead us to consider what lies behind our actions. As a result, we read the lawyers final reply. “It was the Samaritan who offered mercy and was a neighbor.”
Consider, In what ways have you thought of the good Samaritan story as a nice little moral reminder to do good things for others?
What does Jesus and the self justifying lawyer reveal about your motives for the moral actions that you do?
How might being a worshiper of God, first and foremost, lead you to love your neighbor? (Worship leads to action)
Who is your neighbor?
