Luke 10:25-37
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
When I read the Parable of the Good Samaritan as told by One who was a Peasant and who became a Carpenter, I think of the basic rights He teaches us about all humans...For One who was born in the obscure village of Bethlehem and to my knowledge had no education, He sure understands the needs of people and their need for basic human rights...And this is just the beginning of His wisdom...
When they ask Jesus, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"...He answers “What is written in the Law?”...“How do you read it?”...The one asking the question answered, “‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”...“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”...Then Jesus is ask, "And who is my neighbor?"...
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers...They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead...A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side...So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side...But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him...He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine...Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him...The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper...‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’...“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”...The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”...Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”...
Jesus tells us the story of basic human rights throughout His teachings...Jesus gives us lessons on morality and how to treat other people...We are still learning from these lessons He taught two thousand years ago...And we still need these teachings today...