The Parable of The Good Samaritan

Todd Olson

Parables of Jesus • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

Luke 10:25–37

Good Samaritan

Kingdom of God

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In 1971, two Princeton psychologists staged an experiment. They took forty seminarians and told them they were going to record their sermons. Half were given the text on the good Samaritan; the other half could preach on whatever they wanted. They were given a specific route to take to get to the recording hall. This route took them past a “victim” who was lying in the street, groaning and coughing. Of the forty seminarians, only sixteen stopped to help. One actually stepped over the victim, thinking he was blocking the doorway. It’s easy to read the parable and judge the priest and the Levite, but the practice of demonstrating love requires open eyes and patience and, as the researchers found, setting aside the urgent pace at which we live life (Israel Shenker, “Test of the Samaritan Parable: Who Helps the Helpless?,” New York Times, April 10, 1971, https://www.nytimes.com/1971/04/10/archives/test-of-samaritan-parable-who-helps-the-helpless.html).

These were seminary students. Students who were studying theology, and yet many missed the point of the sermon they were getting ready to give. If you have your Bibles, please turn with me to:

Luke 10:25–37 NIV

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “ ‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

It is important that we start our reading with the question we see in verse 25. “What must I do to inherit eternal life.” It is a question that we might ask today. What do I need to do? What was really meant, however, is what is the minimum I need to do and still inherit eternal life?

This expert in the law would have known the law backwards and forwards. He knew what the law said, so why ask Jesus? He was wanting to test Jesus. This may have been for hostile reasons or just out of curiosity to see if this Jesus really knew the Law or not. After all, he was a Jewish rabbi. The expert in the law wants to justify himself and likely wanted to find a way to embarrass Jesus or get him to say something heretical to the law.

But we see Jesus turn the question around asking the expert what is written in the law? Something we are taught taking English in school is that answering a question with a question is not always the most proper thing to do, however, in this case Jesus is using this question to illustrate to the expert in the law that he knows the answer, but as we see in verse 28 is he willing to “do this.” It is not enough to just know what one ought to do, they also need to act, to do something with that knowledge. Doing is the entire point of this parable.

The expert answers referencing the “two tables of the law.” The first is the first four commandments - the ones that deal with a person’s relationship to God. He answers from the Shema, Deuteronomy 6:5 - this is the command at the very center of the Jewish faith. It is evidence that we are of “totality of mind and will that must be brought to the worship of God.” (NBBC, 69)

The second table refers to the last six commandments - the ones that deal with a person’s interactions and relationships with others. His answer references “love your neighbor as yourself” as found in Leviticus 19:8.

These two tables together represent a well and fully rounded expression of one’s responsibility to demonstrate fidelity to God and to treat one’s fellow humans with dignity and love. (NBBC, 68) Our walk with Jesus and claim to be Christian means that our lives should bear evidence of that uncompromising allegiance and conformity to God purpose - which in turn fills us with a love to overflowing onto others.

And then, in verse 29, we see the age old question - one that gets debated to this day in some circles - and who is my neighbor. Aren’t we humans good at trying to justify ourselves and make ourselves feel better about what we are doing than ashamed and guilty for the things we know we should be doing but don’t?

In response to this question, Jesus tells us a parable.