The parable of The Good Samaritan is in Luke 10:30-37. As is usually the case, we should look at the events leading up to Jesus telling this story to really understand His reasons for using the illustration. If you simply read the parable alone, as most people do, it’s easy to assume He’s talking about a lack of compassion in some and a willingness to show compassion in others, a good Sunday School lesson for small children. But, as we will see, Jesus was not simply supplying the Sunday School teachers of the world with another lesson in ethics.
To get the full meaning of this parable we at least have to start with Jesus’ statement in verse 21, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things (truths regarding His plan of deliverance) from the wise and learned and have given them to babes.” If you have read all of Luke 10 (I recommend you do), then you can understand that what Jesus says here is in response to the comments made by the seventy He had commissioned to go before Him with the Good News of the kingdom. They were excited and exuberant as they reported back to Jesus what they had experienced. In the verse above Jesus contrasts those wise in the ways of the world from which these truths had been hidden (due to their own arrogance and rebellion), to those unsophisticated followers who trusted Him and, as a result of their simplicity, were participating in the kingdom firsthand.
Now, in verse 25 Jesus encounters one of those “wise and learned” religion experts, yet another self-confident fool who actually thought he could engage the Lord in a verbal sparring match and win. “Then a religion expert came to test Him and said, Teacher, what must I do to inherit everlasting life?”
To which Jesus answers in verse 26, “What is written in the Law? How do you see it?” Now I have to stop and explain something I think is important. Keep in mind; this guy was not just an expert in the Law as it was delivered to Moses. He was an expert in Judaism, a religious perversion of the Law, which had been distorted and manipulated by the addition of countless man-made rules. Truth comes from God, religion comes from men, and it’s up to every individual to submit himself to God (John 6:45) and learn the difference, so he isn’t deceived by religion.
Now, Jesus does the same thing with this guy that He did with the rich, young ruler in Luke 18:18-25. The rich kid asked Jesus the same question and Jesus responded the same way, asking what the Law and commandments said. Now why did He do that? It’s simple; Jesus knew the hearts of men (Matthew 12:14-15, 25; John 112:24; 13:11), so He knew what they were trusting in. Both of these guys fell into that category described above as the “wise and learned”, the religion experts. They had their own agenda. Their minds were set. They really didn’t care about anything Jesus had to say. They were trying to achieve their own self-righteousness through their ability to follow the rules. So Jesus uses what they knew to point out the futility of what they were trying to do.
This is an interesting point, because there are many times in the Gospel accounts when Jesus was talking to that other category, the “babes”, the unsophisticated, simple people. And He never asked them about the Law and commandments! He knew they didn’t have a clue. Their minds weren’t set on anything. Granted, many of them weren’t necessarily chasing around the countryside after Jesus because they desperately wanted to hear what He had to say. But, at least they were willing to listen. And, some did understand.
And because of that, Jesus’ message to them was “follow Me” (Matthew 4:19; 8:22; 9:9; 16:24; and 19:21 just to list a few). And just so there isn’t any misunderstanding, let me explain what He meant. There are those today who want to think they’re following Jesus because they go to a building with God’s name on it and participate in rituals and activities where His name is mentioned. That is not what He meant. The word translated “follow” is akoloutheo, from the prefix a, here expressing the idea of being “united” or “alike”, and keleuthos, “a way”; hence, you have “one going the same way” or, literally, “following an example”.
Every time Jesus said, “follow Me”, He was saying “follow My example”, “do what I’m doing” or “live the way I’m living”. That’s why I translate Mark 8:34 “If you intend to go the way I’m going (the way to the Father), you must forget your plans and schemes, embrace the suffering that’s required and follow My example (because I’m the only One Who can show you this way).” If that verse is not familiar, you’ll recognize the usual translation, “Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.”
Let’s follow the text a little further. In verse 27 this guy answers Jesus’ question about the Law and commandments with “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind (your whole being), and your neighbor in the same way.” And Jesus then responds in verse 28 with, “You’re absolutely correct. If you can do that, you will live.”
Remember, Jesus knew the hearts of all men. He knew from the get-go the religion expert was a phony. And, it’s here that I suspect this guy noticed a hint of skepticism in Jesus’ voice, because verse 29 says, “Then he, wanting to make himself appear righteous, said, tell me, just who is my neighbor?” And this, then, brings us to the most revealing point in this entire passage. If you’re reading the so-called Authorized Version, the beginning of verse 30 simply has, “And Jesus answering said”. This is an extremely weak and wrong translation. The word translated “answering” is hupolambano and literally means, “to take the ground from under”.
Jesus is getting ready to tell the story we call “The Good Samaritan”. But as you’re following the text and paying attention to the tone of the conversation and the actual meaning of the words in the text, you’re made to realize Jesus is getting ready to knock this guy off his religious pedestal! Jesus is going to use this parable to expose this guy’s hypocrisy and insincerity! He’s just asked Jesus to define “neighbor”. Why? The intimation is clearly sarcastic. “Tell me who my neighbor is, so I can love him (even though, in reality, I have no intention of doing so).” The parable follows. This is verse 30 through 37.
“And Jesus, in order to expose this religious hypocrisy, said, A certain man was going down the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, and was attacked by robbers, who stripped off his clothes, beat him and left him for dead. And as it happened, a priest was going down that same road, and when he saw the injured man, he passed by on the other side. Then a Levite came by and looked at him, then quickly passed by on the other side, as well. After that a Samaritan came along on his journey, and when he saw the injured man, he was moved with compassion. He stopped and cleaned the man’s wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. Then he set the man on his own animal, took him to an inn, and looked after him the rest of that day. The next day he gave two day’s wages to the innkeeper and told him to take care of the injured man and if more money was required, he would pay it when he returned. Now which of these three proved himself a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers? And he answered, The one who showed compassion to him. And Jesus said, You must go and do the same.”
OK, let’s look at what we have here. As I said earlier, to most, this parable is nothing more than a simple lesson in morality. A child’s book of Bible stories would not be complete without The Good Samaritan. As usual, religion misses the mark. The assumption is that the priest and Levite didn’t help the injured man because they simply lacked compassion. They didn’t stop, because they didn’t care. But, as Paul Harvey would say, “Let me tell you the rest of the story.”
Jericho is approximately 18 miles east of Jerusalem, and at this time, the road between the two was a steep descent from Jerusalem through rough, robber-infested terrain. It is estimated that Jericho was a city of about 100,000 people in Jesus’ day and at least 10,000 of them were priests. By necessity, then, the road between Jericho and Jerusalem was heavily traveled, since it was the shortest route for priests going to visit or serve in the temple. Jesus’ story was easily understood so far as the circumstances and details it portrayed.
Both Jesus and the religion expert agreed that, according to the commandments, everlasting life could be gained by “loving God with your whole being, and your neighbor in the same way.” But then Jesus illustrates with this parable that this man was trusting in a religion that made it difficult, if not impossible, for him to do what he agreed was necessary (loving his neighbor). The focus of this parable is not the fact that the priest and Levite simply lacked compassion; instead, it is that they were engaged in a religious system that clearly emphasized forms and rituals over kindness and compassion.
This religion expert knew full well why the priest and Levite wouldn’t stop to help the injured man. He knew that Leviticus 19 outlined all the ways a man is defiled and therefore, unclean. They couldn’t be present when someone died (remember, the injured man was left for dead, he either looked dead or looked like he could die at any time). They couldn’t touch a dead man. They couldn’t touch the wounds of a dead man. If they did, they would be unclean and, therefore, unable to go into the temple area. What is also outlined in Leviticus 19 is God’s provision for purifying oneself when it became necessary to do anything that might render a man unclean. Either the priest or the Levite could have stopped to help the injured man, knowing that, in the event he died, they could have purified themselves. The real hang-up for them was that they knew the purification process took 7 days and the injured guy just wasn’t worth it.
What’s the point? What Jesus was telling this man and what, I’m sure, he understood, was that he had no intentions of doing what he himself had said was necessary. Why? Because, like the priest and the Levite, his religion was more important to him than compassion, and his efforts to achieve his own self-righteousness had absolutely nothing to do with helping others, they had more to do with him helping himself. And, in fact, in this religious, elitist culture it was quite acceptable when those efforts came at the expense of others (sounds familiar). Like the priest and the Levite in the story, this guy was dead in the water. He had no chance. Why? He had no intention of doing what he knew the Law required – because his religion did not require it!
Let me make this one observation, and then I’m finished. The parables of The Unforgiving Servant and The Good Samaritan are connected in their meaning. The fate of the unforgiving servant illustrates the necessity of spiritual reality. The failure of the priest and Levite (and the religion expert) shows how those who are committed to religion choose pretense over reality.