Conclusion of A Neighborly Samaritan

Many priests and their Levite temple assistants live in Jericho, a distance of 14 miles on a dangerous road that descends 3,000 feet from where they serve at the temple in Jerusalem. The priest and the Levite would be expected to help a fellow Jew in distress. But they do not. Instead, a Samaritan does. The Jews hate Samaritans so much that recently they insulted Jesus in the strongest terms by calling him "a Samaritan."

What does Samaritan do to help the Jew? "He approached him," Jesus says, "and bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine upon them. Then he mounted him upon his own beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii [about two days wages], gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him, and whatever you spend besides this, I will repay you when I come back here.'"

After telling the story, Jesus asks the lawyer: "Who of these three seems to you to have made himself neighbor to the man that fell among the robbers? Feeling uncomfortable about attributing any merit to a Samaritan, the lawyer answers simply: "The one that acted mercifully toward him." Go your way and be doing the same yourself," Jesus concludes.

Had Jesus told the lawyer directly that non-Jews also were his neighbors, not only would the man not have accepted this but most of the audience would probably have taken his side in the discussion with Jesus. This true-to-life story, however, made it obvious in a irrefutable way that our neighbors include people besides those of our own race and nationality. What a marvelous way Jesus has of teaching! Luke 10:25-37; Acts 10:28; John 4:9; 8:48.

Next time: Counsel To Martha, And Instruction On Prayer

The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, 1991