Lesson 14: Pesky Neighbors

This week's lesson deals with probably my second-favorite parable. The more I learn about the "good" Samaritan (Note, Christ never used the term 'good' in relation to this parable), the more appreciation I have for my Savior.

A lawyer, trying to trap Jesus, asked what he had to do in order to inherit eternal life. Christ turned the question back on him saying, "You're a lawyer, what does the law say?"

This must've been a bit embarrassing for a lawyer to appear not to know a basic question like that, so he answered, 'Love God and your neighbor'. In an effort to save face, he added, "And who is my neighbor?"

Essentially he's asking, "Where is the dividing line between neighbor and non-neighbor? If someone asks me for help, where's the cut-off point where I'm no longer obligated to do anything?" I'm sure we've all had neighbors we'd rather not have to help if we could get away with it. Maybe they play their music really loud at all hours of the night, maybe they let their dog wander around on your lawn. To the Jews of the day, any Israelite was considered a neighbor. However, if you saw a Gentile drowning, you weren't technically obligated to help under the law.

"The rabbis said, 'An Israelite killing a stranger-inhabitant doth not die for it by the Sanhedrin, because it is said, If any one lifts up himself against his neighbor.' 'We are not to contrive the death of the Gentiles, but if they are in any danger of death we are not bound to deliver them... for such a one is not thy neighbor.' (J. R. Dummelow, The One Volume Bible Commentary, p. 751)

Christ referred to this point earlier in his ministry, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy" (Matt 5:43).

Jesus responded to the lawyer with a parable:

...A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

Jericho was a Levite city about 12-15 miles away from Jerusalem and the road was called the "red path" or "bloody way" as it was known for frequent attacks on travelers. The wounded man in the story is left unaided by a passing priest and Levite, who move to the other side of the road to avoid him.

While this may seem a little harsh to us, the listeners would've understood, as the priest and Levite would've held responsibilities in the temple and any contact with one who was dead would result in being made unclean (Numbers 19:16) and unworthy to serve in the temple without a lengthy cleansing period.

The stinger for them would've been the actions of the Samaritan who saved the life of the wounded man. In fact, when asked who he thought was neighbor, the lawyer couldn't even say Samaritan but referred to him only as "he that shewed mercy".

On the surface, the moral of the story seems to be "do good to everyone", which is definitely one important application. But remember the lawyer's original question, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" I feel we as readers often take the wrong role in the story. We think we are to be the Samaritan, when in fact we are the wounded traveler. It's almost as if Jesus was asking, "what can you do, as the wounded, dying man on the side of the road, to save yourself?" The answer is clear, we are vulture bait unless someone steps in to help. The only source of salvation comes from one they despised most. Earlier in Christ's ministry, the Jews applied what was probably the worst label they had, "Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan...?" (John 8:48)

The Samaritan in the story gave the inn-keeper two-days wages as payment in advance, which would've been more than enough, and a promise he would pay more if needed. Eternal life comes through Christ no matter how unpopular He may be, whether in His day or in ours.

"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." (2 Nephi 25:23)

"Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah..." (2 Nephi 2:8)