The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37 [CEB]

25 A legal expert stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to gain eternal life?”

26 Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you interpret it?”

27 He responded, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”[a]

28 Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.”

29 But the legal expert wanted to prove that he was right, so he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 Jesus replied, “A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He encountered thieves, who stripped him naked, beat him up, and left him near death. 31 Now it just so happened that a priest was also going down the same road. When he saw the injured man, he crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. 32 Likewise, a Levite came by that spot, saw the injured man, and crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. 33 A Samaritan, who was on a journey, came to where the man was. But when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. 34 The Samaritan went to him and bandaged his wounds, tending them with oil and wine. Then he placed the wounded man on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day, he took two full days’ worth of wages and gave them to the innkeeper. He said, ‘Take care of him, and when I return, I will pay you back for any additional costs.’ 36 What do you think? Which one of these three was a neighbor to the man who encountered thieves?”

37 Then the legal expert said, “The one who demonstrated mercy toward him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.



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The Good Samaritan. This is a story that is known across all cultures, and one that resonates with us as humans- across all cultures. I remember learning this story from a Flannelgraph presentation in Sunday school, and my teacher arranging the characters on the storyboard.
The Good Samaritan story Jesus told was one that made people in his day uncomfortable, and challenged social norms back then, and how far we are to go to help another person. Jesus got the attention of his listeners, by changing up who the hero was in this story- not the religious people!
If we put ourselves in the moment this parable was told, I am sure we would have heard a pin drop. The context of this story was an expert of the law, asking Jesus about what must be done to inherit eternal life? Loving God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind...and loving your neighbor. Jesus' reply was to do this and live. The expert pressed Jesus- "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus went on to share his answer through the parable of the Good Samaritan. A parable is a way to tell a story, to express a hidden truth. 
And, Jesus used this parable to expose attitudes in our hearts, beliefs we may have about our neighbors, and how far does love require us to go, as we love God and others? 

I am looking forward to worshiping with you all this Sunday! 
Happy Friday, and may you be able to rest and renew this weekend. 
Pastor Kari