Loving Your Neighbor: The Good Samaritan

Read: Luke 10:25-29

1. HISTORY – Who was it written about? How does the text describe them? 

As we dive into this passage, we find a man asking questions to Jesus in Luke 10:25.

What is the profession of the man asking questions?  (Hint: check out different Bible translations to understand his profession)

What was the man’s motive behind the question? Why did he ask Jesus this question?

LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR TIP

FOCUS ON CURIOSITY, NOT CRITICISM.

When engaging with a neighbor, particularly those with differing beliefs, we encourage you to ask questions. However, your questions should be designed to increase understanding and encourage thought, not to trap or criticize your neighbor. Which may be exactly what this expert in religious law was doing – he wanted to test Jesus around Old Testament scripture. 

2. APPLY – Reflect: What specific questions do you have upon further reflection?

What’s the difference between questions asked out of curiosity versus criticism? Why does a person’s motive matter?

3. CONTEXT – Bible: Does the text quote or allude to another passage in the Bible?

In Luke 10:25, we see the expert of the law ask, “Teacher…what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (NIV) Now read virtually the same question asked of Jesus by a rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16. What assumptions did these two men make about how they would obtain eternal life?

LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR TIP

SET ASIDE YOUR BIAS AND ASSUMPTIONS.

This can be one of the more difficult tips to do when in Bible study – recognizing the assumptions you bring to the Biblical text. The good news is that your bias and assumptions are actually easier to recognize when you study the Bible with people of differing beliefs, backgrounds, ethnicity or even age. The two men in Luke 10 and Matthew 19 held assumptions on how to gain eternal life.  They, like many of us, falsely believed their own good works could secure an eternal audience with God. Jews also relied heavily on their Jewish bloodline to inherit eternal life. Jesus challenged their assumption in the shocking parable that follows.

4. APPLY – Reflect: What specific questions do you have upon further reflection?

Why is it important to acknowledge your own personal bias and assumptions that you may be bringing to the Bible? How can you begin to recognize these?

When you realize that you or others are bringing personal bias or assumptions to the Biblical text – what should you do? Let’s see how Jesus responded.

5. RESEARCH – Observations & Questions: What observations or questions do you have?

In Luke 10:26, Jesus responded to the man’s question with two questions of His own. What is the significance of Jesus’ first question?

LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR TIP

CENTER YOUR CONVERSATION AROUND THE BIBLE.

Rather than arguing over personal and differing bias and assumptions around scripture we should turn the conversation back to the Bible and read the Bible on its own terms. Jesus did that here, where He asked the expert to reflect back on what scripture says. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Jesus referring back to scripture – Jesus did this often when engaging in conversation with people (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 12:29-30, etc).

6. APPLY – Reflect: What specific questions do you have upon further reflection?

What benefit can you see from anchoring your conversation in the Biblical text and reading the Bible on its own terms? How might it diffuse arguments that may arise from differing interpretations? 

Why do you suppose Jesus asked him the second question (vs. 26)?

LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR TIP

DON’T ASSUME WHAT SOMEONE BELIEVES.

We tend to make assumptions of what others believe based on the church they attend or the title or label they give themselves. By doing so we can limit reflection and growth in their own personal faith journey. In this passage, Jesus knew this man was very familiar with scripture, afterall he was an expert in Jewish religious law! But Jesus didn’t assume He knew how the expert interpreted the scripture – and wanted to hear how he understood the law. By doing so Jesus could now speak directly to where this man was at.

7. APPLY – Reflect: What specific questions do you have upon further reflection?

Why should we avoid making assumptions about others’ beliefs based on the title or label they give themselves or the church they attend? What should you do instead of assuming you already know what they believe? 

With Jesus’ questions looming, it was now the religious expert’s turn to answer. Out of the 613 laws in the Old Testament, he pointed to these two: “He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Luke 10:27, NIV)

8. CONTEXT – Bible: Does the text quote or allude to another passage in the Bible?

Where else in the Bible can we find these two commandments? (Hint: cross-references should point to places like Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18, and Matthew 22:34-40)

What do these passages say and what understanding does that give behind why the man would believe these two commands would gain eternal life?

Jesus confirmed that the expert of the law was correct and added, “Do this and you will live.” (Luke 10:28). Yet that wasn’t enough for the scholar. The story doesn’t end there.

9. CONTEXT – Immediate: How are connective words (e.g. therefore, and, but, however) used to develop a complete thought?

Luke 10:29, starts out with the word “But,” which shows contrast, and helps us realize that even though this man knew the answer, he was still struggling with it.  What question did the expert of the law go on to ask and why?

If we’re honest, most of us who are trying to live our lives according to Jesus’ teachings have asked this question at some point or another. Who is my neighbor? Who exactly am I required to love? Surely there are some exemptions, right? And we find brilliant ways to justify our own actions. If you relate, you get where this man might be coming from.

LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR TIP

CLARIFY LANGUAGE.

We can easily talk past each other when we don’t define terms and take time to ask questions to understand what someone is saying. Although the expert of the law’s motive may not have been pure, he still asked a very good question: “Who is my neighbor?”- and in doing so He prompted Jesus to tell one of the most tangible and challenging teachings on who Jesus considers to be our neighbor and what loving them looks like.

10. APPLY – Reflect: What specific questions do you have upon further reflection?

Can you think of a time when you realized you needed to define a word or have a term defined for you in a conversation with someone?

It’s at this point in the story that Jesus replied to the question by sharing the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Read Luke 10:30-37

11. HISTORY – Where does the parable take place? What can you learn about the town and travel?

Re-read Luke 10:30-32. Using Study Bible notes and commentaries, what do you learn about the path between Jerusalem and Jericho?

We find that the journey between Jerusalem and Jericho was 17 miles and known for being treacherous because robbers would hide along the winding, steep paths. This made the journey a dangerous one! Jesus included a very realistic scenario in His parable. He took a real-life path that many of His audience would have been familiar with, in order to communicate the danger and peril the travelers in His story would have experienced.

12. APPLY – Reflect: What specific questions do you have upon further reflection?

If you were to tell this parable using current landmarks, what analogy would you use to describe the path (and its danger) from Jerusalem to Jericho to people today? (Example: To go from the wharf to Union Square in San Francisco, one has to walk through the dangerous Tenderloin district known for its crime.)

13. HISTORY – Who was it written about? How does the Bible describe them?

Read Luke 10:30-32, where we’re introduced to three of our four characters in the parable – a man who was attacked and two people who passed by him. What were the professions of the two men who passed by? 

As Jesus explained the response of the first two individuals that passed by, we see that they were both religious men who would have known the law well (vs. 31-32). The first man to pass was a priest, who would serve in the temple offering sacrifices. The second man was a Levite, who would have assisted in the care and operations of the temple work.

14. HISTORY – What worldview, cultural, religious, political factors and experiences were a part of their world and how did that influence them?

Read Deuteronomy 15:11 and Exodus 23:4-5, which would have been Old Testament scripture these religious men would have been familiar with (and familiar scripture to the audience in which Jesus was telling the parable). Based on these scriptures, what should have been the priest and Levite’s response to the beat-up man they encountered on the road?

Both men would have known that helping the needy was an expected reaction from a religious leader, yet both acted counter to love, but not contrary to cultural expectation. Not only did they pass by the man… they passed by on the other side of the road from him!

15. APPLY – Reflect: What specific questions do you have upon further reflection?

Has there been a time in your life when you purposefully avoided a situation with someone who was different from you? What justifications did you make for your actions?

16. HISTORY – How would the original audience have heard this message?

How do you think the expert of the law would have felt as he heard Jesus speak of the priest and Levite passing by the beaten man?

17. APPLY – Reflect: What specific questions do you have upon further reflection?

Knowing this historical context, why do you think Jesus chose to use a priest and a Levite to demonstrate the point of loving your neighbor?

18. RESEARCH – Observations & Questions: What observations or questions do you have?  

Who is the final person mentioned in the parable? How does the Bible describe them?

In Luke 10:33-35, Jesus introduced a third person who passed by the beaten-up man: a Samaritan who had compassion on a stranger in need. What all did the Samaritan do to help the man who had been attacked?

19. HISTORY – What worldview, cultural, religious, factors and experiences were a part of their world and how did that influence them?

Read John 4:9. Using this verse and Study Bible notes, what do we learn about the relationship between Samaritans and Jewish people?

Samaritan people had a mixed ancestry between Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews), and yet still considered themselves part of Abraham’s lineage as “true Jews.” In Genesis 12:1-3, we see that God had told Abraham that his entire family would become a great nation, be blessed, and their name would be great. This promise would have been difficult for Jews to “share” with mixed blood Jews (aka Samaritans)! And so the two groups didn’t associate with each other and in fact, were known to hate each other.

Yet the Samaritan in this parable loved and risked his life for someone who likely hated him and would have normally been considered an enemy! He even spent his own money on him: two denarii. Study Bibles and commentaries tell us that two denarii equals two day’s wages (Matthew 20:2)!

This Samaritan was never publicly rewarded for his good deed. There was no logical reason why he should help an enemy in need. This bold response stood in opposition to the typical feelings of hostility between Samaritans and Jews. To a Jew, there was no such person as a Samaritan who was ‘good.’

LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR TIP

GET OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE.

Loving your neighbor means being willing to step outside your normal world and connect with people that look, act, and believe differently than you in order to meet them where they are at – even if that means reaching out to a person you may consider your enemy or is hard to love. For the Samaritan it meant helping a so-called enemy, and financially supporting his recovery back to good health. For us, it could be as simple as starting up a conversation with someone we don’t often interact with.

20. APPLY – Reflect: What specific questions do you have upon further reflection?

When have you stepped out of your comfort zone to show Christ’s love to someone? Has someone done this for you? 

21. HISTORY – How would the original audience have heard this message?

Knowing the relationship between Samaritans and Jews, how do you think the expert of the law would have felt as he heard Jesus speak of the Samaritan who helped the stranger?

As Jesus ended His parable, He asked the expert of the law, “Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” The response from the expert was simple and clear, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus responded with an even simpler command, “You go, and do likewise” (vs. 36-37, ESV).

The beauty of the example that Jesus gave, of what it looks like to be a good neighbor, is that in His response, Jesus changed the man’s words (“Who is my neighbor?”) from a passive stance to an active sense. He gave a sense of responsibility to those around Him and invited them to have compassion for all, even those who may not be like them – regardless of gender, race, geography, or faith background. Mercy does not need a reason and it is not earned. In fact, mercy is often defined as not getting what one deserves.

For the Samaritan, love was demonstrated in intimacy and mercy. This example would have both challenged the original question asker and frustrated his efforts to make his knowledge of love enough.

22. APPLY – Reflect: What specific questions do you have upon further reflection?

Who have you considered your neighbor in the past? Who should you be considering as your neighbor based on Luke 10?

23. CONTEXT – Bible: Does my interpretation hold true throughout the rest of the Bible?

What do you learn about how to treat others from Leviticus 19:33-34, Romans 12:17-21 and Luke 6:32-36 (or Matthew 5:43-48)?

24. APPLY – Reflect: What specific questions do you have upon further reflection?

How do these passages, as well as the parable of the Good Samaritan, challenge you to love others, especially those who are difficult to love or who are different from you?

It’s possible that we all read this passage and hope to love those around us at this level. Compassion on display. Love in action. Willingness to cross paths with those different from us. As Jesus described the undertaking of the Samaritan man, He intentionally communicated that love was given sacrificially and abundantly.

LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR TIP

LET COMPASSION TRIUMPH OVER JUDGMENT.

Jesus used this Samaritan man to prove that loving a neighbor as yourself means there is no separation of those who “deserve” love or not, and the action of a person is revealing of their heart. Judgment does not allow space for compassion or love to grow.  In fact, humility allows space for compassion to flourish, and that’s just what we see in the parable of the Good Samaritan.

25. APPLY – Reflect: What specific questions do you have upon further reflection?

Why is humility important to loving your neighbor? 

26. APPLY – Pray: “Lord, what do you want me to learn and how should I apply this to my life?” 

What is your biggest takeaway from this passage?