Let’s look at this parable told by Jesus today. What was he saying? How can we apply this? What is the deeper meaning, if there is one? Read Luke 10:25-37. This parable starts out with a man described as being an expert in the law (religious law this would mean) asking Jesus what he must do to obtain eternal life. Jesus asked this man to tell him what the law says and the man replied with,“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus tells him that he is correct. But then the man asks Jesus to tell him who a “neighbor” is. The motive behind these questions is not clear in the text but we see it read, “to justify himself” which could indicate selfish reasons. Jesus answered him with a parable about a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and encountered robbers who robbed him, beat him and left him for dead.

First, a priest walks by and ignores the man laying there and than a Levite (who is another religious figure) also walks by and ignores the man. The 3rd man to walk by is described as a Samaritan. A Samaritan would have been hated by ‘religious Jews’ at this time because they didn’t follow the religious laws. But this Samaritan didn’t care where this man came from, or what religion he practiced, he saw a man in need and helped him. He put him up someplace (an “inn”) and gave the “innkeeper” money to care for the man until the Samaritan returned. Jesus than asked this expert in religion, who was the neighbor in this story? The expert said it was the one who showed mercy (the Samaritan). On one level of this story what are we typically taught and what do we typically read? We take this story and make it solely about us, that we should be the Samaritan here and help others in need regardless of their status, culture, religion, etc. Yes, we absolutely should be self-less..to everyone. It does not matter what town, city, state, region or country they came from. To live like Jesus we don’t make exceptions to this. And that is the other layer here.

What does this parable tell us about God, about Jesus? Jesus is the Samaritan here. Did he lay down his life only for some of us? Only for those who are experts in religion? No. John 3:16 and other places tell us that God so loved the WORLD that he gave his son. The world, not only certain parts or people.

For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.” — John 3:16-21 (CSB)

Jesus also tells us to love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us. Why? Because Jesus first loved us and God is rich in mercy so much that he made a way to be reconciled to him. That doesn’t mean everyone will accept it. Some will continue to vehemently deny Jesus and eternal life. Jesus obeyed the Father by his sacrifice on the cross and he did it because of love. It’s awfully hard to show love when your ridiculing another person or when you mock them, or when you wish harm to come on them or worse, you do harm them and throw up your hands and say, “oh well”, or “they deserved it”. Do you see this in our world? I do. I see this among those who profess to know Jesus even. I see Christians who hate people from other countries and cultures and show no compassion for them at all. I see this every day. I see this in my church. Do you see it in yours? I’m betting you do. Do you, or have you seen this in yourself, even a little, sometimes? If we are honest, we can probably all say yes.

“You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. — Matthew 5:43-48 (CSB)

The deeper meaning here is Jesus showing a picture of himself to answer the law expert’s first question. He wanted to know what he can do to earn eternal life. Jesus, depicted here as the Samaritan (hated remember), is the one who showed mercy on a completely helpless man. This man could not save himself but the Samaritan saved him. Religion can’t save you and neither can the law. That’s the point of the parable. It’s not really about us as none of the Bible really is. Jesus does tell the law expert to go and do the same, show mercy to your neighbors and we absolutely should be because we are supposed to be living in Christ-likeness. He is our moral standard and he came to fulfill the law and the prophets. We really are depicted here as the man laying helpless on the ground. That’s us without the redeemer; helpless and dying and a slave to sin. But God is merciful and he made a way by sending his son to pave the way to reconciliation so that we may have eternal life rather than eternal death (separation from the Father).

“Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. — Matthew 5:17-20 (CSB) [for more study on what this passage means to “abolish” and “fulfill” I suggest going here]

All scripture is taken from the Christian Standard translation. https://read.csbible.com/