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Luke 10:29-37
This is the parable of the “Good Samaritan.” The significance of this parable is that the Pharisees, which were the governing authority of the temple, the priests, and the Levites; and the scribes, which included the lawyers, were considered to be too holy to do the work of “common people.” The other catalyst to this parable is the Samaritan, who by Jewish standards were considered to be the farthest away from “holy” that could be imagined. The Samaritans were considered to be religious outcasts (John 4:9; 2 Kings 17; Leviticus 26).
The Samaritan felt compassion on the injured man and acted on the compassion of his heart to help the one in need. The priest and the Levite felt that they may be defiled by touching this person who was “unclean.” The priest and the Levite were more concerned about themselves and their view in society than actually following what they were supposed to be “experts” in. Jesus destroys two social injustices in this parable: (1) There is no social ladder in God’s eyes. We are all equal as human beings in need of forgiveness and regardless of the position we may hold in society, we are required to have the same respect for one another as Jesus directs us in John 13:34-35. (2) The love of God that He instills within us as His children has no boundaries; our neighbor is inclusive of everyone and is included in the greatest of the commandments that unites and fulfills them all as Jesus teaches in Matthew 22:37-40, and the Apostle Paul reiterates in Romans 13:8-10.
This is Jesus’ explanation of who our neighbor is.
The Church in recent years has been stereotyped as hypocrites in that the attitude of the Church is to note the problems and downfalls of others, yet not see the pride and arrogance involved in doing so. Christians are no better than anyone else; we are all equal in the eyes of God, and we should be the ones showing the compassion of Christ in reaching out to those in need; we should be the ones that are building others up, not tearing them down. Don’t get me wrong, many Churches and the Christian population are reaching out to those around the world who are in need, but I remember a day when those in need came to the Church for help because they knew that the Church was full of people who would help them. Let’s strive to regain that stereotype for the church; the one that shows the love and compassion of Christ, as did the Samaritan in Luke 10:33-35. Let us go and do likewise as Jesus commands in Luke 10:37b.
Dear Lord,
Humility is a virtue of being a Christian, and we must embrace humility to overcome our self-centered, self-righteous seeking lives. We all battle with this and need your help. Jesus said in Matthew 22:39, in quoting Leviticus 19:18, that we should love one another as we love ourselves. This takes the love of Christ dwelling in our hearts to accomplish. Please help us to see the great love You have for us in sending Your only begotten Son to pay the price for our sins so that we may have life in Him. And help us to share this love with our neighbor, who is everyone, regardless of social status or the color of their skin. In Jesus name I pray, amen.