First, I always try to live a life honoring my Heavenly Father. I do what’s right and expect others to do the same. I try to live neighborly and help those who have a need.”
–Cliff Hudgins (Viejo and the Outlaw)
“I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bandage the injured, and strengthen the weak, but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will shepherd them with justice.”
–Ezekiel 34:16 (HCSB)
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“Jesus replied and said, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, pass by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.”‘”
–Luke 10:30-35 (NASB)
If you have ever read about the Natchez Trace you would have discovered that it was a road favored by gangs of thieves. Goods were taken down the Mississippi River, but to get back home travelers would have to walk north on the Natchez Trace. Those traveling it would be carrying their profits from the markets in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The story is similar on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. It was a rugged road known to be beset by robbers. People seldom traveled this road alone if they were carrying goods or valuables.
This parable is the story of four men. One of them, seemingly foolish traveled this road down to Jericho. He must have know of the dangers. Whether he was arrogant, ignorant, or foolish we don’t really know. Luke just relates in the story from Jesus that robbers stripped him, beat him, and left him for dead. A foolish man, alone on the road, he had no one but “himself to blame for the plight in which he found himself.” (William Barclay) Hmmm, perhaps you have found yourself in such a plight.
A priest hurried past. Jesus does not give a reason for him not stopping. He looked at the man then deliberately chose to walk on the other side of the road, definitely not wanting to get involved. From where he stood, he could not tell if the man was dead or not. If dead, and the priest touched him he would be ceremonially unclean. Some have suggested that he would lose his turn of duty at the Temple. If so, “he set the claims of ceremonial above those of charity.” (Barclay) But notice, he was going away from Jerusalem, therefore he had no excuse.
The next character is the story of the Levite. He was involved not with the altar and sacrifices, but still worked in the Temple, therefore he would be ceremonially unclean if the man was dead. And notice, his response was the same as the priest. Here we have two men of the Temple, “holy men” if you will. Why they did what they did we really don’t know. This Levite may have been concerned with his own safety; he may have thought the robbers might still be in the area. He would take no risks to help anyone.
These men weren’t bad men, they were busy. Gary Inrig, says this, “For them and, too often, for me, people in need are problems, interruptions, nuisances. They intrude awkwardly on my privacy. They deflect me from my duty. They distract me from my responsibility. They keep me from my pleasures. I agree that they need help, and I hope that someone does help. But not me, not now, not here. I have a different agenda.”
Finally come the Samaritan. He is called the “good Samaritan” but to the Jew of that day there was no such thing. They were considered to be degenerate, a man who was despised by the Jewish people. The name was sometimes used to describe a man who was a heretic and a breaker of the ceremonial law. However, this Samaritan man had compassion and took pity on the injured man. This pity then took the form of sacrificial action. He saw the same things as the priest and the Levite, but his compassion was expressed in the care of the immediate needs of the man. Most likely he was not like me who carries a first-aid kit when I travel. He may have had to tear his clothes for bandages or took from the goods he was carrying. He uses his own wine, he used his own oil, he put the man on his own donkey, and paid the innkeeper from his own pocket. This Samaritan also showed courage in helping the man, not only from possible robbers, but a Samaritan transporting a Jewish victim might be suspect. As one writer said, it would be like an Indian bringing a scalped man on a horse into Dodge.
Let me conclude with a few final thoughts regarding this good Samaritan. Despite the possible misunderstanding, he had the courage to bring the injured man to an inn. Second, we see that his credit was good; he must have been a man of honesty and integrity for the innkeeper trusted him. Lastly, he was the only one prepared to help. Barclay says, “A heretic he may have been, but the love of God was in his heart.”