Good Samaritan

1. Ethics is the branch of philosophy that explores the principles of right and wrong behavior. It seeks to understand what constitutes a "good" or "moral" action and examines how individuals should act in various situations. Ethics addresses fundamental questions like, "What is the right thing to do?" and "What responsibilities do we have to others?" Therefore, ethics does not focus on concepts such as God, God’s existence, divine characteristics, or the Trinity. Its source and outcomes are rooted in human reasoning and human experience.

2. There is a branch of ethics known as situational ethics, which deals with “what if” scenarios. For example, we might ask, “What if Adam and Eve had not eaten the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil?” or “What if God had not sent Jesus Christ as the Messiah?” In situational ethics, there is no definitive answer, as it primarily focuses on exploring questions and hypothetical situations rather than arriving at absolute conclusions. Today, we observe a lawyer posing questions based on situational ethics and the responses Jesus provides in Luke 10:25-37. In this passage, I believe we can gain a clearer understanding of Christian salvation and the Christian way of life.

Luke 10:25–28 NRSV

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “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 neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

Luke 10:29–32 NRSV

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

Luke 10:33–34 NRSV

But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Luke 10:35–37 NRSV

The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

3. After the 72 (or 70) disciples returned from their outreach, a lawyer approached Jesus with a question about how he could inherit eternal life. This lawyer was likely a Pharisee or a scribe, as he was not a solicitor or prosecutor but an expert in the Law of Moses within the Judean community. By examining his question, we see that he had a sound understanding of eternal life; he spoke of inheriting eternal life, not achieving it. As Paul teaches, salvation is granted by the grace of God. Without His mercy, we cannot understand or receive it. Therefore, both salvation and faith are rooted in God’s grace; it is by grace alone that we can accept them.

Ephesians 2:8–9 NIrV

God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift. It is not based on anything you have done. No one can brag about earning it.

4. Then, Jesus and the lawyer discussed the Law of Moses, particularly the commandments to "love your God" and "love your neighbor." The lawyer already knew Jesus’ answer, as he had been following or studying the Law of Moses. He then asked Jesus to clarify the meaning of "neighbor." In response, Jesus began to tell a parable. One important point to keep in mind when reading this parable is that it’s meant to explain the meaning of "neighbor" in the context of receiving eternal life. If we lose sight of this focus, the parable may seem like a simple moral teaching. However, Jesus' intention is not just to offer a lesson on morality, but also to reveal the path to eternal life.

5. In this parable, there are four main characters: a priest, a Levite, the injured man, and a Samaritan. The incident takes place on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, where the man was attacked by robbers and left nearly half dead. Only the Samaritan stopped to help him. Commentaries note that the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was narrow and known for frequent robberies. Some of these robbers were Samaritans who often targeted Jews, as animosity between Jews and Samaritans had persisted since the division of Israel into two kingdoms after Solomon's reign. 

6. The first character found him was a priest from Jerusalem to Jericho. He might finish his priest's role in Jerusalem just now. However, he did not want to be involved in this scene because of his priest's role. According to Jewish tradition and regulation, the religious workers should keep them from the dead or not touching any blood. Because of it, he might not touch him so he changed his road on the other side of him.

Leviticus 21:1–4 NKJV

And the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘None shall defile himself for the dead among his people, except for his relatives who are nearest to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother; also his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband, for her he may defile himself. Otherwise he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

7. According to the Torah, it was reasonable for the priest to avoid contact with a dead body to maintain ritual purity. However, we recall how Jesus interpreted the Sabbath law, emphasizing the importance of saving a life over strictly following religious customs or regulations. Despite his role as a religious leader, the priest prioritized his own purity over the well-being of the injured man.

8. The next character is a Levite. Levites served as assistants to the priests, performing tasks related to worship, care, maintenance of the Tabernacle (and later the Temple), and teaching the Law. Like all Israelites, Levites observed general purity laws, which included avoiding ritual impurity through contact with a corpse (Numbers 19). If contact occurred, they had to undergo a purification process, which involved washing, a waiting period (typically seven days), and a ritual sprinkling with purification water. However, these regulations were not exclusive to Levites but applied to all Israelites. 

Numbers 19:11–12 ESV

“Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days. He shall cleanse himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be clean. But if he does not cleanse himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not become clean.

9. The Levite approached to take a closer look, but then crossed to the other side. He might have thought, “If he’s not in critical condition, I can help, but if he’s already dead, I can’t risk becoming unclean—I’m scheduled to start my duties at the Temple in just six days, not seven! He looks dead, so unfortunately, I can’t help because of the Law of Moses. Instead, I’ll offer a prayer or a sacrifice for him.”

10. Finally, Jesus introduces a Samaritan, an enemy in the eyes of the Jews. It’s important to remember that, although the Samaritans separated from Israel after Solomon, they still believed in the same God and followed the Torah. When the Samaritan saw the injured man, he did not ignore him, even though he may have been a Jew from Jerusalem. Unconcerned about these differences, the Samaritan used his own money and resources to help, taking him to a nearby inn. He stayed with him for a day, then gave two denarii to the innkeeper to care for him. If we stop here, this story could seem just a moral teaching. However, we must remember that Jesus used this parable to illustrate the path to eternal life.

11. Now, we can begin interpreting this story to understand its message about receiving eternal life. First, salvation is not simply about living a religious life but about receiving true, eternal life. A religious life can sometimes focus more on rules, regulations, and burdens than on freedom and life itself. The priest and the Levite were experts in Jewish law as religious leaders, yet they neglected the importance of life in their actions. When regulations fail to bring freedom and life, they become burdens and sources of bondage. In the 16th century, the Reformation was sparked by Martin Luther’s discovery of life through the Bible. As a monk, he rigorously followed religious regulations, but they only increased his sense of guilt without resolving it. Through God’s Word, he realized true life and freedom, found not in rule-following but in faith.

Romans 1:16–17 NLT

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

Romans 8:1–2 MSG

With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

12. What if we encountered a similar situation on a Sunday morning at 10 a.m. on our way to church for worship? How should we respond? The answer is to prioritize saving a life. Preserving life must come before following regulations. God does not desire us to be merely religious people; rather, as Jesus exemplified, God wants us to care for those in need. Before following religious rules, God calls us to be a neighbor to those who require help to sustain their lives. Worshiping the Lord is indeed our highest priority, but we must remember that, in His earthly ministry, Jesus consistently prioritized saving lives.

John 3:16–17 NLT

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

13. It’s easy to turn someone into a purely religious person. When I was in about 9th grade, my pastor said that I should never miss a Sunday service. He even advised that if I encountered someone urgently needing help on my way to church, I should ignore them and head straight to worship. He assured us that if we prayed during the service, God would take care of the person in need. But is that really right? I don’t think so. When I remember his teaching, I still feel upset because he encouraged us to become religious in the way of the Pharisee and the Levite, rather than embodying the compassion Jesus calls for.

14. Through this parable, Jesus emphasizes the importance of our mindset before God. Following God’s law without a heart for Him can make us merely religious. Instead, we should always consider, “How would God see this situation? How would Jesus respond?” Salvation is not only about keeping God’s law but also about caring for eternal life. Since God granted us eternal life through Jesus Christ, we are called to share this life with those who don’t know it, spreading God’s life to the world. By becoming a neighbor to those in need of eternal life, we help them experience it and pass it on to others. This is how we share the Gospel. 

15. Therefore, in reflecting on the Good Samaritan, we see that true Christian living goes beyond simple moral actions; it calls for a heart transformed by God’s love, one that overflows to others. Jesus’ teachings encourage us to embody this love actively, reaching beyond our comfort zones to show compassion and share the hope of eternal life with those around us. As we seek to live out our faith, may we be reminded that our ultimate purpose is not just personal growth but to be vessels of Christ’s love, pointing others toward the new life He offers. Embracing this call, we fulfill the deeper purpose of a life in Christ—one that uplifts, heals, and brings others into the joy and grace of God’s kingdom.