In Luke chapter 10, after being asked “who is my neighbor” by a lawyer who was trying to trick him, Jesus tells a parable about a man who is savagely beaten by three thieves and left for dead on the side of the road. A priest and a Levite (another type of priest, a Jewish man from the tribe of Levi) both see the man and walk to the other side of the road.
Soon after, a Samaritan who happened to be walking by stops, binds the man’s wounds, puts the injured man on a camel, and takes him to a nearby inn, where he pays for the man’s stay and offers to return to cover any other expenses related to the man’s care.
What is a Samaritan?
The historical context of the parable is often missed. The Kingdom of Samaria, which was inhabited by the Samaritans, did not have friendly relations with the Israelites during this time. Ever since the Kingdom of Israel split into two after the death of King Solomon, the northern Kingdom of Judah and the southern Kingdom of Israel were, to put it plainly, not friendly with one another.
Samaria itself had a large contingent of Baal worshippers and those who worshipped The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did so in their own way and in violation of tradition, mixing in ideas and practices from local customs and religions, which did not sit well with the Israelites to the south. There were hundreds of years of bad feelings between the Samaritans and the group of people to whom Jesus was speaking in Luke 10, which makes it all the more important that he specifically chose a Samaritan as the hero of this parable.
Being a good neighbor
Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. – Luke 10:36-37
The main theme of the Parable of the Good Samaritan is that we should show compassion to all those around us, regardless of the color of their skin, their religion, their ethnicity, or anything else. We are all children of God, created in His image, and we all have the duty to look after those around us, both physically and spiritually, whether we know them personally or not.
Being Christlike sometimes means doing things we don’t want to do, like helping someone who used to be a bully back in school or going to a fundraiser dinner for a coworker we didn’t really enjoy working with. It might not be fun, but it’s still the right thing to do. Jesus prayed for the men who beat and mocked Him before the crucifixion – if He can do that, can’t we do a nice thing for someone who was mean to us 20 years ago or someone we’ve never even met?
Being a Good Samaritan
Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do. – Galatians 2:10
How can we be Good Samaritans today? First, we can remember the poor, as the Apostles asked Paul to do in Galatians after their first meeting with him. This includes both the financially poor and the spiritually poor. For example, not being afraid to witness to those around you who may not have heard the Gospel message. You can also reach out to new Christians you know, making sure they have a good foundation for understanding the scriptures. It can be easy for our brothers and sisters who’ve recently given their lives to Christ to read The Bible for the first time and not fully understand what it means.
Most of all, don’t be afraid to help someone you don’t know personally or have never met. There are hundreds of Christian charities dedicated to helping people worldwide who need food, shelter, Bibles, and any number of other necessities. You can donate your time to a local soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or similar place to give a hand to those in need. Above all, don’t forget to pray constantly for those around us. As the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:6, In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Dear Lord, we praise You for this day and for all of the many blessings you have given unto us. We pray that we might be able to help the poor, widows, strangers, friends, neighbors, and anyone else You send us who might be in need. Help us to honor You and glorify Your name on this Earth every day. Let us not be afraid to spread the Gospel to those who need to hear it. We pray these things in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.