Luke 10.25-37

PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN

(Luke 10.25-37)

The last time I was in the Holy Land, there was evidence of a fast dual carriageway being built between Jerusalem and Jericho.

However, in the days of Jesus, the roadway consisted of a narrow winding pathway, which descended from Jerusalem, some 2300 feet above sea level, to Jericho, some 1300 feet below sea level. The distance between the two cities is about 20 miles. Twenty miles of barren terrain with rocks on either side, behind which robbers could easily hide, in order to attack the unsuspecting traveller. In fact, in the fifth century, St Jerome called it 'The Red or Bloody Way' because it was so notorious for robberies.

This inhospitable route is the setting for the parable of the Good Samaritan, which is told only in St Luke's Gospel.

The story is so familiar I need hardly spell it out.

An unknown traveller was travelling on this road when he was attacked by thieves, who robbed him of his money, stripped him of his clothes, and after beating him, left him half dead.

Fortunately, a priest came along the same road, and when he saw him, assuming him to be dead, passed by on the other side, since if he had touched him, the religious laws of the day would have prohibited him from taking part in the Temple worship, since he would have been considered unclean.

Likewise a Levite, a Temple assistant, passed by on the other side in case the person was being used as a decoy by the robbers still in hiding.

Finally, a Samaritan came along. He stopped, got off his donkey, bound up his wounds and put him on his animal, and took him to a nearby inn. Since he was intending to go further himself, he arranged for the innkeeper to look after him, promising to repay the innkeeper any costs involved, when next he passed along that way.

And Jesus finishes up the story with the question: “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell among robbers?”

In order to understand the story, and the significance of the question, one must go back to the beginning and put it into context.

We are told that a lawyer stood up to test Jesus by asking him what he must do to inherit eternal life?

Jesus replies with another question: “What is written in the Law?”, fully aware that he was being asked a trick question.

The lawyer replies by quoting the Shema, which we call the summary of the law, which says, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself’.

The lawyer then tries to push Jesus further by asking: ‘And who is my neighbour?'

And it was in response to this question that Jesus told this parable which concluded with that question: 'Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell among robbers?'

The question must have caused considerable heart searching on the part of the lawyer, because Samaritans were age-old enemies of the Jews.

Yet faced with the challenge of the question, the lawyer could do no other than reply, 'The one who showed mercy'.

When Jesus replied, 'Go and do likewise,' it must have been a bitter pill for the lawyer to swallow as he was convinced that the love of God extended only as far as the Jews, the chosen people of God.

It is, after all, easy to demonstrate God's love in action amongst those whom we love and like.

But to demonstrate God's love in action amongst those whom we do not love and like, is another matter.

It is particularly difficult when the person in need of help, is someone whom we despise and hate, and who is seeking to destroy our way of life, such as fanatical terrorists.

Yet our neighbour, as far as Jesus is concerned, is anyone in need of our help.

Like the lawyer in the parable, we are told to: 'Go and do likewise'.