The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

Base Text: Luke 10:25-37

I. Introduction
   A. A very famous and popular story
   B. Even if details unknown, people know who a "good Samaritan" is
   C. But what is the story about?  What can we gain from it?
   D. Let us consider the Scriptures

II. The Story: Luke 10:25-37
   A. The Situation
      1. Jesus approached by a lawyer, testing Him (v. 25)
      2. Jesus asks him his own question (vv. 26-27)
      3. Lawyer responds by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and 
         Leviticus 19:18 
   B. OT Considerations
      1. What is established in these passages?
      2. Deuteronomy 6:5 part of the "Shema" (Deuteronomy 6:4-6), 
         recited to this day constantly by Jews
      3. Indication of complete surrender to God
      4. Leviticus 19:18, in context, statement regarding not taking 
         vengeance
      5. The idea is that one does to one's neighbor as one would want 
         done for himself, a variant on the "Golden Rule"
      6. Consider Matthew 5:34-38, Romans 12:19-21
      7. Matthew 22:35-40: whole Law dependent on these
   C. Evasion
      1. Luke 10:28: Jesus indicates that such is what the lawyer 
         should do
      2. Yet the lawyer wants to justify his conduct
      3. Indication that he really does not consider all men his 
         "neighbor"
      4. Probably believes something akin to Matthew 5:43!
      5. Therefore, he wants to see just how great and righteous he 
         is by his question
      6. A good warning for us—let us listen to God’s commands and 
         not try to find ways to justify ourselves!
   D. The Story
      1. Man takes a well-known road down from Jerusalem (in the 
         hill country) to Jericho (near the Jordan; Luke 10:30)
      2. Robbers fall upon him, took all that was his, and beat him 
         (v. 30)
      3. A priest and a Levite go by, see him, keep going 
         (vv. 31-32)
      4. A Samaritan passes by, feels compassion, gets care for the 
         man at his own expense (vv. 33-35)
   E. The Conclusion
      1. Jesus then turns to the lawyer and asks who fulfilled the 
         role of neighbor (v. 36)
      2. The lawyer could not deny the answer, but cannot bring 
         himself to say "the Samaritan," but says, "the one who 
         showed him mercy" (v. 37)
      3. He is told to go and do likewise (v. 37)
   F. What can we gain from this story?

III. Applying the Story
   A. The Priest and the Levite
      1. This story presents these two figures in quite a bad light
      2. What is their issue?
      3. Probably concerned about purity regulations-- they do not 
         want to be impure!
      4. Lest we forget, however, these are the "holy" people in 
         society
      5. They were the ones ministering to God in the Temple!  They 
         had the best access!
      6. Perhaps a bit of the Pharisaical attitude in Luke 18:10-14?
      7. We would consider them "good, moral people"
      8. They would have been horrified at the crime perpetrated 
         against the man
      9. Yet they do nothing!
      10. Goes to show that morality is not just avoiding sin-- it 
          requires us to do what is right (James 4:17)!
   B. Why a Samaritan?
      1. The Jews did not particularly care for Samaritans
      2. John 4:9 is an understatement!
      3. 2 Kings 17: Samaritans are the imports to Israel after the 
         Assyrian deportation
      4. Not actual Jews, but ended up observing Israelite religion
      5. As indicated in John 4, worship at Mount Gerizim, believe 
         that they are really YHWH's chosen people
      6. Therefore, for a nasty Samaritan to be helping a Jew in 
         need, when the holy priest and Levite walk by, makes for 
         the most exaggerated story!
      7. We can only imagine what the lawyer thought of the 
         narrative!
   C. The Samaritan shows compassion
      1. He is truly living the command to love one’s neighbor as 
         oneself!
      2. If you were the one beaten on the side of the road, what 
         would you want someone to do for you?
      3. Thus the Samaritan did to him
      4. This is the concept undergirding Luke 6:27-36!
   D. The Samaritan was inconvenienced
      1. Should we imagine that the Samaritan was expecting to see 
         the man as he walked on?
      2. He was probably like the rest of us: he had a destination 
         to get to, and he wanted to get there as soon as he could
      3. Yet he found this man here, and despite his schedule and 
         intentions, still helped out!
      4. The difficulties of others may not come at times convenient 
         for us, yet what are we charged to do (Luke 10:37, 
         James 4:17)?
   E. The Samaritan sacrificed
      1. Beyond the inconvenience, the assistance of the man required 
         time and money
      2. Yet he freely gave it to help this one in time of need
      3. Loving one's neighbor as yourself will cost you something!
      4. Yet again, what are we charged to do?

IV. Conclusion: Go, and Do Likewise
   A. As Jesus concludes the story with the lawyer, He charges him to 
      "go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37)
   B. Therefore, we love our neighbor as ourselves when we fulfill 
      the role of neighbor for them!
   C. We cannot go on with our lives and think that we are only 
      responsible for ourselves, or that being moral means that we 
      just avoid sin
   D. We must remember this story of the good Samaritan-- to love 
      our neighbor may mean that we must be there for him in his 
      time of need, no matter how much it may inconvenience or cost 
      us
   E. Let us remember this charge (cf. James 4:17, Galatians 6:1-2)!
   F. Invitation/songbook