Spiritual Goals and Values: Following Jesus in His Upside-Down KingdomSýnishorn

The Good Samaritan (Part 2)

Yesterday, we introduced the parable of the Good Samaritan by examining the goals and values of the expert in the law. Today, we will look at the Parable itself.

Jesus tells the story of a man (we are told nothing else about him) who took that treacherous path from Jerusalem to Jericho. He was attacked, beaten, and left for dead by robbers (as we looked at yesterday, this was not surprising). Three people passed him:

First, a priest! A man of God, surely of all people, he would stop to help this man? At least check his pulse. Call out? Glance in his general direction? Run for help? Give him his last rites? Something? Anything? But alas, he passes by on the other side.

Secondly, a Levite! Levites assisted priests, and so this is a great second choice! Surely he will stop to help him? Even for a second? A moment? But no, he also passes by, and then we have…

A Samaritan. Now, we’ve already talked a lot about the Jewish/ Samaritan relationship (or really lack of relationship) in our story of the woman at the well (more important context!)… but it’s safe to say that in Jewish eyes and to Jewish ears, this Samaritan was the last person on earth who would qualify as a neighbour to be loved. If you remember, Jews did not even associate with Samaritans.

And yet... you can read the end of the parable, but it is this Samaritan who not just helps this Jewish man but truly goes above and beyond. He gives him medication, bandages his wounds, abandons his own plans and schedule, endangers his own life, and pays for him to be taken care of. Two denarii is about two day’s wages, and so it’s a significant sum! Plus, he tells the innkeeper that he will reimburse any additional expenses. He doesn’t even know this man! His cultural enemy!

Jesus concludes the story by asking the expert one final question:

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbour 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.”

Among other things, this passage clearly shows us that being a neighbour (and thus loving our neighbours as ourselves) is not a matter of convenience, nationality, race, or any other factor… it is simply a matter of self-sacrificing love. That’s it: it’s as simple, and as difficult as that.

Genesis 1:27 tells us that we are made in the image of God, and this means that followers of Jesus are to respect the value and dignity of all people everywhere - regardless of race, age, status, smell, gender, attitude… or any other factor you could think of. Because God first loved us (1 John 4:19) we are to “love our neighbour as ourselves.”And who is our neighbour? Well, this passage makes it very clear that it’s everyone, and often the ones we least expect. The ones we are natural enemies of. The ones we disagree with. The ones we aren’t even supposed to associate with.

The weird kid at school.

That overbearing aunt.

That trouble-causing neighbour.

That unreasonable boss.

That opposite-to-me-voting individual.

That man experiencing homelessness.

That drug-addicted woman.

That cheating, lying business person.

That undeserving one. That entitled one. That arrogant one.

Those ones, Jesus, really? This parable makes it crystal clear that the Kingdom of God's answer to this question is yes. And we aren’t just to love them well, but as ourselves. It doesn’t get much more upside-down and counter-cultural than that.

Therefore, one of the core values for followers of Jesus has to be a “love your neighbour” life … an inherent respect and care for all people everywhere. It is a lifestyle and a call that leads to an interruptible, generous, loving, self-sacrificing existence.

Finish up today’s study by thinking about or journaling the answers to these questions:

How do the values of the expert in the law differ from the Samaritan?

What life goals can we pull from this story? What is the Kingdom value at the core of this parable?

In our world today, which is so full of division and racism, how can you practically apply the heart of this parable?

What does it mean practically to love your neighbour as yourself in your current season of life?