The Good Samaritan - Luke 10:25-37 - Text Questions
Taking a closer look at one of Jesus' most famous stories
The Good Samaritan is one of Jesus’ most iconic stories. If you’ve been enjoying this newsletter, consider sharing it with your friends.
For this text, Luke 10:25-37, we are going to change the order of things a bit and begin with question 3 (and revisit it later). Shifting our point of view changes how we answer questions one and two, so let’s quickly look through the possible viewpoints.
3. Whose point of view am I taking?
Possible points of view we can take include: the beaten man, the thieves, the priest, the Levite, the good Samaritan, the inn keeper, the lawyer asking Jesus the question, the people overhearing Jesus telling the story, and Jesus Himself.
1. Who is the enemy?
There are many enemies in this text.
If we take the point of view of the beaten man, the thieves who beat him up are enemies dealing out injury. Injury is one of death’s main allies. The Levite and the priest who pass by the beaten man become his enemies, still allied with death. The dangerous road itself might be an enemy.
For the priest and the Levite, the enemy for them is impurity. If they touch this man, they risk becoming unclean (especially if he dies). If they become unclean, they may not be able to perform their vocations as they are supposed to. The priest and the Levite choosing to ignore the beaten man introduces another enemy to them for this is a sin. They have failed to love their neighbor.
For the good Samaritan, I honestly don’t see an enemy. One might invent a temptation to pass by on the other side, but there is not indication of hesitation. Perhaps you see one, but I don’t see an enemy for the good Samaritan.
The inn keeper doesn’t give us much indication of anything.
The lawyer asking Jesus the initial question has an enemy that Jesus points out in the telling of the story: the Samaritans. The lawyer is dealing with the duel enemies of sin and Satan. The lawyer is tempted to hate the Samaritans and seems to be already doing so.
Those overhearing Jesus have the same enemy as the lawyer. Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. There is long-lasting animosity between the groups.
And for Jesus, His enemy is all those who keep on asking the question, “And who is my neighbor?” rather than loving all their neighbors, no matter who they are or where they come from.
2. How is the enemy conquered?
The beaten man’s injuries are conquered by the mercy of the good Samaritan who not only binds up his wounds, but pays for his room and board and medicine while he heals. Health care is the way the enemy of injury is conquered.
The priest and Levite conquer their fear of impurity by remaining pure, but the introduction of the enemy sin remains undealt with in this story.
The lawyer’s (and the crowd’s) hatred of Samaritans is conquered by a masterful story that shows a Samaritan loving and showing mercy those who hate him. In the end, such hatred of Jesus will be why He is killed. And He conquers that hatred with mercy and love and forgiveness as He cries out from the cross, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Indeed, the beaten man in this story might call out the same words to the thieves or to the priest and the Levite.
3. Whose point of view am I taking?
If you are in danger of hating a group of people because of race or geography or any other reason, you are identifying with the lawyer in the text. If you are asking “And who is my neighbor?” in order to justify not loving people who are different from you, you are identifying with the lawyer.
If you are showing compassion and mercy to immigrants, refugees, minorities, those who are marginalized – then you are identifying with the good Samaritan.
If something is more important to you than showing mercy to these people, be it perception or discomfort or fear or purity of anything, you are identifying with the priest and Levite.
If you have been beaten down by the world for whatever reason, you are identifying with the beaten man. If you have been helped by a stranger, you are identifying with the beaten man.
4. Who are You, Lord?
Jesus is a masterful storyteller in this scene. He is one who invites us toward love and mercy and compassion. He shows us that very love, mercy, and compassion Himself.
Thanks for being curious with me.
Andy