“And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. (31) And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. (32) And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. (33) But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, (34) And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. (35) And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. (36) Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? (37) And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.” (Luke 10:30-37)
Today is National Good Samaritan Day. Even secular writers acknowledge that the impetus for the day stems from the Bible. In the Lord’s parable, a man was left to die by two men who didn’t want to get involved. The day was established to honor the death of Catherine “Kitty” Genovese who was murdered on this day in 1964 in NYC. Though there were several witnesses to the crime, nobody wanted to get involved even to call the police. Instead, they turned a deaf ear to her cries and plea for help. When someone finally called the police, it was too late.
While the parable definitely teaches us to be aware of the plight of others and to get involved in helping with their needs, that is a secondary point of the teaching. This parable was given in response to a lawyer’s question.
“And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? (26) He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? (27) And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. (28) And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. (29) But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?” (Luke 10:25-29)
This wasn’t a lawyer in the legal sense. He was a lawyer who defended the Law of Moses and the Old Testament Scriptures. His question wasn’t a sincere one. He was trying to “tempt” Jesus into saying something contrary to the Law. Jesus answered by taking the man back to the very Law he purported to keep. The lawyer believed he had kept the Law until he wanted “neighbor” defined.
Before we go further with this, let’s answer a question. What was the purpose of the Law? Why was it given? Was it the means to salvation? Galatians 2:16 says, “Knowing that a
man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” And Galatians 3:10 says, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” Romans 3:19 makes it even more concise. “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”
This lawyer really believed he had kept all the Law. He was trying to use it as justification that he would go to Heaven. As one Bible commentator puts it, “The Lord offered this story in answer to the [lawyer’s] question, with its somewhat cynical implication that he did love all those whom he considered to be his neighbors. Jesus graciously gave him one more unforgettable, inescapably clear insight into his wretchedness; one more opportunity to acknowledge his sinfulness and cry for mercy.”
To put it simply, Jesus had to get him lost before the lawyer would see his need to be saved.
We need to remember that our neighbor is anyone God puts in our path. We should get involved with their need the best we can. But ultimately, the parable is a reminder that “we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” We must be “made the righteousness of God in him” which happens when we are saved. Once we are saved, our good works have great value in the sight of God.
As believers, let’s live today doing the good works God planned for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10 reminds us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast. (10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
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