When we hear or read about an accident with injuries, a victim of a mugging, or some natural disaster with many injuries, we often hear about some “good Samaritans” who step in and help where they can. Sometimes these individuals are even given special commendations. Where did that term come from? Christians who are familiar with the Scriptures know the background of that term. However today, with so many people having never read even part of the Bible, they may know that it refers to someone who comes to the aid of a stranger, but have no idea where the term originated. Let’s look at our Scripture today about the Good Samaritan, learn the background, and also learn some other lessons from this parable.
The background to Jesus’ parable begins when a lawyer approached Jesus, asking him about eternal life, trying to trick Him. Depending on His answer, perhaps the lawyer could get Jesus in an even more bad standing with the Jewish religious leaders. Jesus asked him what the Law of Moses said. The lawyer answered by saying to love God and your neighbor as yourself. Jesus then responded back by saying that if this lawyer fully followed those commandments, he would have eternal life (vs. 25-28). This was not saying, by any means, that works would get anyone into heaven. He exposed the impossibility of perfectly fulfilling the Law. There isn’t anyone who has never broken any of God’s laws. Eternal life is not earned by works, but received by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The lawyer then, knowing that he had never fully kept either of these commands, tried to justify himself before Jesus, and asked exactly who his neighbor would be. That set the stage for Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus told of a man who was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. Though not a long journey (about 18 miles), it was often a dangerous one. In that short distance one goes from an elevation of 2,600 feet above sea level in Jerusalem to 800 feet below sea level in Jericho, a drop of 3,400 feet. In that rugged terrain there were many spots where bandits and thugs could hide themselves, and frequently travelers would get attacked. That’s what happened to this fellow, and he was left on the side of the road to die (vs. 30).
Shortly after this unfortunate attack on the man, first a priest, and a bit later a Levite, came by and saw the man. The priest just glanced at him and continued on. The Levite (one who was a caretaker of the Temple, performed music in the Temple, and assisted the priests), walked over to the seriously injured man to get a closer look, but then also left (vs. 31-32). Despite their religious positions, they had no compassion on the man. Their actions showed that religious status does not guarantee any righteousness. Jesus was revealing here that the Old Testament Law cannot save or sanctify anyone. It only reveals sin (Romans 3:20).
Some time later a Samaritan came by. To get the full impact of this parable, we need to understand the relationship between Jewish people and Samaritans. The Jewish people considered the Samaritans a mixture of breeding, part Jewish and part pagan, which occurred at the time of the Assyrian conquest of the northern Kingdom of Israel. They believed that their religious traditions were also corrupted. Thus, both Jews and Samaritans despised each other. When this Samaritan came upon the gravely injured Jewish man, we would think that he, too, would just pass by. Why help someone who despised oneself, and who one also despised? Yet that’s not what happened. This Samaritan had compassion on the man. He cleaned and bandaged his wounds as best he could, then placed him upon his donkey and brought him to an inn. There he paid for a room for him and instructed the innkeeper to care for him and put it on his bill (vs. 33-35).
Think of any two groups of people, either today or in the past, who have viciously hated each other, people of different races, tribes, or nationalities. Would one from one group go to such an effort to help an injured man of the other group? This wasn’t just one stranger helping another stranger. These were two vowed enemies! Yet the Samaritan had immense compassion. He showed sacrificial love by tending to the man and paying for his care.
The Samaritan’s actions mirror Jesus Christ’s mercy towards sinners. He is a type of Christ - despised, yet compassionate; rejected, yet redeeming. Jesus, like the Samaritan, rescues us when we are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1-5).
Jesus finished by asking the lawyer who was the one who was the true neighbor? (vs. 36-37). Was it the priest or Levite (today we could say the pastor or priest, and the deacon or choir member). They should have been the ones to help, but didn’t. Instead it was the despised Samaritan. (When the lawyer answered, he couldn’t even say the word “Samaritan”). True believers, those justified by faith, are called to reflect Jesus Christ’s love in action (James 2:14-17). Jesus told this lawyer and the rest of the people, including us, to go and do likewise.
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