216
WHEN HE SAW
HIM, HE TOOK
PITY ON HIM
LUKE 10:33, THE GOOD SAMARITAN
T
he Parable of the Good
Samaritan is one of several
stories told by Jesus, and,
like many parables, only appears
in the Gospel of Luke. At the heart
of it is the Golden Rule—that we
must treat others as we would
expect to be treated ourselves.
The story begins with “an
expert in the Law” asking Jesus
how to inherit eternal life. When
Jesus asks the expert to consider
the Law, he begins by quoting
Deuteronomy 6:5, which says to
love the Lord with all your heart,
soul, and strength. The expert then
quotes Leviticus 19:18, that youmust also love your neighbor.
Jesus tells the expert that he has
found his answer, but when the
expert is not satisfied, Jesus uses a
parable as a novel means of getting
him to seek the answer out himself.
The story concerns a man who
is going from Jerusalem to Jericho,
when he is robbed and left for dead
by the side of the road. A priest
passes and does nothing. Then a
Levite passes and does nothing.
Yet when a Samaritan comes past,
he stops, takes care of the man’s
wounds, and gives him food, before
paying for the man to stay in an inn.
Jesus ends the story by asking the
expert who is the better neighbor.A story of Luke
Although Matthew (22:34–40)
and Mark (12:28–34) include the
Law expert’s question, they do not
include this parable. Because of
this omission, some scholars
question the authenticity of the
story as a true parable of Christ.
Nonetheless, the story gives theThe stranger is helped onto the back
of the Samaritan’s horse, while other
passers-by disappear into the distance,
in this 1890 depiction by Vincent Van
Gogh (after Eugène Delacroix).IN BRIEF
PA S SAGE
Luke 10:25–37THEME
Charity to the unfortunateSETTING
c.27–29 ce The road from
Jerusalem to Jericho during
the time of Christ’s ministry.KEY FIGURES
Jesus The Messiah and Son
of God during His ministry
in Galilee.Expert of the Law Possibly
a priest, who has studied
the Torah.The Good Samaritan
A traveler who shows
compassion for a stranger.The stranger A man
traveling the road to Jericho.US_216-217_The_good_Samaritan.indd 216 27/09/17 5:59 pm
THE GOSPELS 217
reader an insight into the theology
of the author of Luke. Given that
he was probably a Greek-speaking
Gentile, the parable is a perfect
analogy of Jesus extending His
favor to non-Jews.
In particular, the positioning
of a non-Jew—and Samaritan—as
the protagonist of a parable would
have shocked contemporary Jewish
audiences, due to a longstanding
rivalry between the Jews and the
Samaritans since the 5th century
bce. In telling this parable, Jesus
helps His audience to see the
kindness in a figure they would
traditionally consider an adversary,emphasizing the message of the
parable: to love your neighbor,
and enemy, as you love yourself.Road from Jerusalem
Roads and pathways are “liminal”
spaces—they signify a transition
from one place to another. In a
literal sense, roads are ungoverned,
dangerous spaces. With Jerusalem
being a popular destination for
trade and pilgrimage, it would
come as no surprise to find bandits
lying in wait. In the Bible, roads
are often metaphorical, suggesting
a pathway to wisdom, immorality,
goodness, or God. ■Early Christian allegorical reading
of The Good SamaritanSamaria
Samaria is a region in modern
Israel that roughly equates to
the biblical Northern Kingdom
of Israel. Samaria was also the
name given to the city built in
the 9th century bce by King
Omri, who declared it capital
of the region. In 722 bce,
following the fall of the city
of Samaria to the Assyrian
empire, many foreign groups
(2 Kings 17:24) were moved
into the land by the Assyrians,
eventually forming what
would become known as
Samaritans. These groups
were largely composed of
Gentiles, and for this reason,
Judeans were wary of the
Samaritans, who were not
viewed as ethnically or
religiously Jewish. Over time,
Samaritans came to be seen
as unclean people, who lived
sinfully and worshipped at
the altars of pagan gods.
In the New Testament,
Jesus initially commands His
disciples to avoid frequenting
any Gentile or Samaritan city.
Later, however, Jesus visits
Samaritan areas, healing
the sick, casting out demons,
and showing compassion
where others had not. It seems
fitting, therefore, that the
merciful man in this parable
should be a Samaritan.The traveler comes
down from Jerusalem ...See also: The Golden Rule 210–11 ■ Parables of Jesus 214–15 ■
The Prodigal Son 218–21 ■ Workers in the Vineyard 223... falls because of thieves ...... unaided by the passing
priest or the Levite ...... until the Samaritan
oils and bandages him ...... takes him to the inn
and promises to return.Adam comes down
from Eden ...... falls from grace
because of evil spirits ...... unaided by the Law of
Moses or the prophets ...... until Jesus anoints Adam
and brings salvation ...... takes him to the
Church and promises
the Second Coming.US_216-217_The_good_Samaritan.indd 217 25/09/17 11:20 am