JESUS GIVES
PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN
Now
we come to one of the things that characterizes the Gospel of Luke—parables.
Dr. Luke majors in parables just as Mark majors in miracles. Dr. Luke
records certain parables that are among some of the most familiar parts of
the Bible. The parable of the Good Samaritan is probably the best-known
story. Some literary critics consider it the greatest story ever-told.
And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted
him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? [Luke 10:25].
The parable of the Good Samaritan came about as an answer
to a question about eternal life. It was not an honest question, but it was
a good question and a stock question. A “certain lawyer” asked the
question—but he was not a lawyer in the sense we think of it.
I heard a little story about lawyers in our judicial
system. Two lawyers were in court. It was a difficult case, and there was a
great deal of controversy. The court opened and lawyer number one jumped up
and called the other lawyer a liar. The second lawyer jumped up to retaliate
and called the first lawyer a thief. The judge rapped for silence, and said,
“Now that the lawyers have identified themselves, we will begin the case.”
However, the lawyer in this parable was not part of a
judicial system; but rather, he was an interpreter of the Mosaic Law, and in
that sense he was a lawyer.
Now our Lord had a very wonderful way of dealing with
questions. He answered a question by asking a question. It is known, by the
way, as the Socratic method because Socrates used it: answer a question with
a question. It lets a man answer his own question. So the lawyer tries to
put Jesus on the witness stand, and He turns around and puts
him on the witness stand.
He said unto him, What is written in the law? how
readest thou? [Luke 10:26].
Jesus knew that he was an expert in the Mosaic Law.
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.
And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this
do, and thou shalt live [Luke 10:27–28].
I wonder if you notice the barb that is in this.
But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus,
And who is my neighbour? [Luke 10:29].
Notice that our Lord said, “You have answered right.”
Remember that this took place before Christ died on the cross. Does it mean
a man can be saved by keeping the Law? Yes, but let’s follow through on
this. It is not the hearers of the Law, but the doers of the Law that are
justified. If you say you can keep it, I’ll have to remind you that God
contradicts you. He says it is impossible to be justified by the Law because
no one can keep the Law—“… by the works of the law shall no flesh be
justified” (Gal. 2:16). “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak
through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh,
and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law
might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit” (Rom. 8:3–4).
Now if the lawyer had been honest, which he was not, he
would have said, “Master, I’ve sincerely tried to love God with all my
heart, soul, strength, and mind, and my neighbor as myself. But I can’t do
it. I’ve miserably failed. So how can I inherit eternal life?” But instead
of being honest, he adopted this evasive method and said, “And who is my
neighbour?”
Now Christ gave him an answer to this question, and it is
the parable of the Good Samaritan. It is a simple story but a marvelous one.
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
And by chance there came down a certain priest that
way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came
and looked on him, and passed by on the other side [Luke 10:30–32].
It is possible that this lawyer was a Levite and that he
squirmed at this point because it touched him in a personal way.
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where
he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
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.
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.
Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour
unto him that fell among the thieves?
And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said
Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise [Luke 10:33–37].
Dean Brown of Yale University has said that three classes
of men that represent three philosophies of life are brought before us in
this parable.
1. The Thief: His philosophy of life says, “What you have
is mine.” This is socialism or communism.
2. The Priest and Levite: His philosophy of life says,
“What I have is mine.” This is rugged individualism that has gone to seed.
His cry is, “Let the world be damned, I will get mine.” This is godless
capitalism.
3. The Good Samaritan: His philosophy says, “What I have
belongs to you.” This is a Christian philosophy of life. “What I have is
yours if I can help you.” Folk who talk about “Christian socialism” don’t
recognize that they are two distinct philosophies.
Now our Lord intended that we bring this parable right
down to where we live. We are told that a certain man went down from
Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves. That is a picture of humanity.
That is the race that has come from Adam. Mankind came from Jerusalem, the
place where they approached God, to Jericho, the accursed city. Humanity,
you see, fell. Humanity found itself helpless, hopeless, and unable to save
itself. Mankind was dead in trespasses and sin—this man who had fallen among
thieves was half dead. The thieves are a picture of the Devil who, John 8:44
tells us, was a murderer from the beginning. Concerning this subject our
Lord said, “All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers …” (John
10:8). When the multitude came to arrest Christ, He said to them, “… Are ye
come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat
daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me” (Matt.
26:55). The Devil is a thief, and our Lord was crucified between two
thieves—this is quite interesting, is it not?
Then we are told that a certain priest passed by on the
other side. He represents ritualism and ceremonialism which cannot save a
person. Someone has said that the reason the priest passed by on the other
side was because he saw that the man had already been robbed! Next a Levite
came by, and he too passed by on the other side. He represents legalism.
Neither ritualism, ceremonialism, nor legalism can save. Then a “certain”
Samaritan passed by. Whom did the “certain Samaritan” represent? He is the
One who told the parable. When ritualism, ceremonialism, legalism, and
religion could not do anything to help man,
Christ came. He is able to bind up the
broken-hearted. He is able to take the lost sinner, half-dead, lost in
trespasses and sins, and help him.
This parable has a practical application for you and me
today. Any person you can help is your neighbor. It does not mean that only
the person living next to you is your neighbor. People need Christ, the Good
Samaritan. There is a great deal of talk about getting the gospel out to the
world, but not much of an effort is made to see that people know about
Christ. It is like the young fellow who was courting a girl. He wrote her a
letter and said to her, “I would climb the highest mountain for you, swim
the deepest river for you, cross the widest sea for you, and cross the
burning desert for you!” Then he added a P.S.: “If it does not rain next
Wednesday, I will come to see you.” That sounds like the average Christian’s
commitment to Christ!
The world today is like the man that fell among thieves
and needs our help. The world needs Christ. Christ can not only rescue us
from drowning, but He can teach us to swim. Ritualism and formalism see
mankind drowning and say, “Swim, brother, swim.” But man cannot swim.
Legalism and liberalism push across toward man and say, “Hang on, brother,
hang on.” But man cannot hang on. There is a song which says, “I was sinking
deep in sin far from the peaceful shore, very deeply stained within, sinking
to rise no more; but the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry, from the
waters lifted me, now safe am I.” Christ lifted me, my friend, and He can
lift you too. That is the message of the Good Samaritan.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible
Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997,
c1981, S. 4:292-294