The Parable of the
Good Samaritan

The Parable of the Good Samaritan allows us to understand that anyone who needs my help is my neighbor; and it is difficult to know in advance how effective one act can be.

Luke 10.25-37

One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

27 The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Parable of the Good Samaritan

30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.

31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.

33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him.

Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.

35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’

36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”

Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

The "imagination" is a whole world inside the mind...

Parables are powerful "word-pictures" that are meant to be engrafted into our thinking...as mental pictures do control our thought-life. That's where the "imagination" gets involved. The imagination allows mental exploration of the past, present, future. It is the ability to see pictures and images in the "movie theater" of the mind. The imagination is the "workshop" of the human mind. It is the only thing in the world we have complete control over. That's why GOD takes great interest of what goes on there, and judges what we allow to grow there - Genesis 6.5

The Parable of the Good Samaritan...

A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road

By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them

Then he put the man on his own donkey, held the man up on the donkey while he walked - and finally arrived at the inn, where the innkeeper could take care of him. Jerusalem to Jericho was about 20 miles, winding down the valley from 2,000 feet above sea level to Jericho, about 1,000 feet below sea level. Where did the Good Samaritan take him? If it was back up to Jerusalem, it was an unbelievable, uphill, mountainous, and dangerous road...they could have been attacked again as they were vulnerable... Romans 10.15 "How beautiful are the feet of them which bring glad tidings of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’

What is the basic message of the Good Samaritan?

The lawyer asks, What must I "do" to inherit eternal life... means what do I have to do to see "the essence of life that comes from GOD?" The big question associated with this parable is -"Who is my neighbor?" Nearness to someone, does not make them neighbors Life will reveal who our neighbor might be - the one that needs us Often we label someone in need as "he is a _______" - not one of us, as an excuse to pass by and do nothing

What did the Good Samaritan actually do...

• Did he call 911 asking them to send an ambulance?  No, he bound up the wounds with his own hands - he got involved in the healing process...
  
• He poured in oil and wine
• He placed the injured man onto his own personal donkey
• He had to hold the man up as the donkey walked to the inn. This was not an easy journey for both of them
• He took the victim to the inn, paid the inn keeper
• He pledged more money if a longer stay to recuperate was required
• He guaranteed complete restoration of this certain man - his neighbor

See this series of actions through the eyes and ears of the victim... his hope is restored. Others had passed him by. Those who should have helped, didn't.

Some robbers attacked him mercilessly - one man restored him!

Unfortunately, seeing some people walking on the other side of the road - refusing to get involved is a sad commentary of religious "he's not my neighbor" thought...

What are we? Any chance we may be "a good Samaritan?"

Matthew 25.40 "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

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