AP

Luke 10:31-37  “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 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.”

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is probably one of the best known (and loved) parables of Jesus.  But interestingly, Luke is the only Gospel in which it appears.  This is not surprising because one of the unique interests Luke has in reporting on the ministry of Jesus is that it challenges the entrenched Jewish ethnic exclusiveness and feeling of superiority.

The main point Jesus wants to make in telling the parable is that the Good News he has brought was not just for the Jews (as their Promised Messiah), but for the whole world, including the Gentiles, especially the ‘despised’ Samaritans!  This is demonstrated by the fact that it was told in answer to the question ‘Who is my neighbour?’ when Jesus had reinforced the Old Testament teaching that the two greatest commandments were ‘Love God’ and ‘Love your neighbour’.

Sadly, throughout history, the popularity of this parable seems to have missed this main point, and derives from the (mis)understanding that it teaches ‘justification by good works’.  That this is not the case is clarified by Luke’s following it up immediately with the story that contrasts favourably Mary’s expression of faith with her sister Martha’s doing ‘good works’ (verses 38-42)!

How easy it is for those of us who are older, and who grew up in the culture of ‘Christendom’, to miss this important point and to make the same mistake as the priest and Levite did in the parable!  Even in the very early days of the Christian Church the apostle James had to expose this tendency by writing a letter to point it out (see James 2).

I personally found it helpful and challenging several years ago to read ‘Accidental Pharisees’ by Larry Osborne – and I think it wouldn’t hurt me to read it again, even though reading isn’t one of my favourite activities!  How much am I prepared to follow the example of Jesus’ disciples at the beginning of Luke 10 and go out into the ‘harvest field’ as a ‘lamb among wolves’ with a minimum of ‘baggage’ and just announce the ‘peace’ that only the ‘Prince of Peace’ can bring this Christmas?!

– Bruce Christian