Parable of the Good Samaritan, Part 3
This Week's Bible Reading: Luke 10:25-37 (focus on verses 30-35)
Supporting Passage: Leviticus 21:1-4
Last week, we explored the rocky relationship between Jews and Samaritans. This tension provides the backdrop for the Good Samaritan parable. Today, let's start looking at the story itself.
When someone tells a story, who do you imagine as the main character? Most of the time, we picture someone like ourselves. When Jesus began his story with "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho...", his audience would have assumed the man was Jewish—one of their own.
The trek from Jerusalem to Jericho was dangerous. The path is a winding road filled with lots of hills and crevices for bandits to hide in. It would not be a surprise to hear that ruffians attacked this traveler and left him for dead.
A priest and a Levite are traveling along the same road. They had probably just finished serving at the Temple in Jerusalem and were on their way home. Both of these religious men see the injured man but go out of their way to avoid him. Why?
One theory is that they did not want to risk defiling themselves. Priests had to follow specific rules to keep themselves clean. One of these rules prohibited contact with a dead body. Maybe the priest was hesitant to approach the injured man because he feared the man was already dead.
While this sounds like a valid excuse, it's, well, ... rubbish. (I apologize for using such strong language!)
This mindset does not reflect the heart of God. In Part 1 of this series, we talked about how God always wanted his people to love their neighbor. No law is at odds with that. As scholar Klyne Snodgrass puts it, "Nothing—not even purity laws—legitimately stood in the way of saving a life."
We may not be bound by the same purity laws as ancient priests, but it's still easy to come up with our own "noble" excuses for why we can't get involved in a situation. We think, I'd love to help, but associating with that kind of person could ruin my reputation. Or, I would help, but their life choices have led them here, and they need to learn a lesson. I know I've had these thoughts at times. The fear of getting caught up in another person's mess is real.
In these moments, it's helpful to remember what God values. Speaking through the Old Testament prophet Hosea, God says, "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings" (6:6, NIV). And in the New Testament, the apostle Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit, which includes the attributes of love, kindness, and goodness. He says, "Against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:23, NIV).
There is a second reason for why the priest and Levite may have walked by the injured man. This reason is less self-righteous than the first, but maybe more common for us. What if stopping to help wasn't the most practical thing to do?
In my research of this parable, I discovered that Jericho is about seventeen miles from Jerusalem. I never knew this, and it brings a whole new dimension to the story. This wasn't an easy walk to the 7-11 half a block down the street! Maybe the sun was setting, and the priest and Levite were hurrying to reach their destination before dark. They couldn't justify stopping. Maybe they assumed somebody else was already getting help. Or perhaps they feared that if they stopped, they would become the robbers' next victim.
Jesus made it a point to say all three travelers "saw" the injured man. But the Samaritan took two additional actions: he "came to where [the man] was" and "had compassion" (v. 33, ESV). These are the three steps we need to take to love our neighbor. It starts with seeing them, but it cannot end there. We must also come near to their pain and offer them compassion. This is often inconvenient and uncomfortable.
As the priest and Levite walked past the man, I wonder if they thought, I wish I could unsee this! They tried their best to get the image of the beaten man out of their head as they continued down the road. We all have things we wish we could unsee.
One morning, I had my own "I wish I could unsee this!" moment. I was on my mobilized scooter heading to Panera to do some work. My mind was racing with everything I "had to" get done that day. As I approached the entrance of Panera, I saw a woman sitting at one of the tables outside. We smiled politely at each other.
"How are you?" she asked me.
"Good," I replied. Then I added the obligatory, "How are you?" But I didn't wait to get an answer. I continued to roll past her into Panera, expecting her to say, "Good," as well.
But she didn't. As I strolled on, I heard her say, "Not so great." I was stunned by her response. I thought about turning back around and talking to her. But instead, I went on with my day.
What small act of compassion might I have offered her in that moment? Maybe I could have bought her a bagel and a coffee. Maybe I could have listened to her for a few minutes. All I know is I missed an opportunity to love my neighbor. And for the rest of the day, I regretted it. Even now—two years later—I can vividly picture the scene in my head.
We all have moments like this. God doesn't want us to beat ourselves up over past mistakes. But he does want us to learn from them. On that day, I was reminded of how easy it is to put practicality over love. The good news is God offers us new opportunities each day to show his love to others.
In God's Kingdom, it's not enough to simply see our neighbor. We must also be willing to set aside our plans to step into another person's mess.
Questions to Ponder:
What are some "noble” excuses Christians make up for not helping others? When are you most tempted to use some of these reasons?
Why is it sometimes uncomfortable or inconvenient to come near to a person in pain and step into their mess? Who is someone who has done this for you?
Have you ever had an "I wish I could unsee this!" moment where you could have helped someone but didn't? How can you move forward in God's forgiveness, knowing there will be more opportunities to "see, come near, and have compassion"?
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