The Good Samaritan

 •  7 min. read  •  grade level: 8
(LUKE 10:25-3725And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. 28And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? 30And Jesus answering said, 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. 31And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34And 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. 35And 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. 36Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? 37And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. (Luke 10:25‑37).)
THE lawyer’s question, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" seems at first sight very similar to that of the Philippian jailor in Acts 16:3030And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? (Acts 16:30) " Sirs, what must I do to be saved? ''
In reality, they are very different. The lawyer's implies his own ability to gain life as a result of what he could do; while the jailor's is the cry of a troubled soul for someone to sale him, thus owning he could not save himself.
The blessed Lord, however, takes occasion of the lawyer's question to bring out the wretched and helpless state of the sinner; while in reply to his second question, “And who is my neighbour? "He gives a full and beautiful picture of Himself as the Saviour.
“A certain Man went down, from Jerusalem to Jericho.'' These words pre-sent to us the downward course of every man. Jerusalem was the city blessed by the presence of God, who had put His name there (Exod. 15:1717Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. (Exodus 15:17) and 1 Kings 8:2929That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. (1 Kings 8:29)). Jericho, on the other hand, was the first city to withstand Israel when they entered Canaan to take possession of the land that God promised them; therefore the city was accursed and utterly destroyed; moreover, Joshua pronounced a curse on the man who should rebuild it (Josh. 6:1717And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. (Joshua 6:17); Josh. 26-27).
It was not till the days of the wicked King Ahab that a man was found daring enough to defy the curse. and rebuild Jericho; and then, though more than five hundred years had passed since the curse was proclaimed, the words of Joshua were fulfilled; for "he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub" (1 Kings 16:3434In his days did Hiel the Beth-elite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun. (1 Kings 16:34)) The sinner—and let us remember "all have sinned"—has his back to God and all blessing, and his face towards the place of the curse; his feet are treading the downward road that leads to destruction. On his journey "he fell among thieves, which stripped" him, and left him half dead by the road-side. What a picture of misery and helplessness and yet how slow is man to realize that the Lord thus depicts his state. Dear reader, let me ask, "Have you done so?" Well is it, indeed, When he discovers that he has nothing with which to meet the claims of a holy God, for this leaves God free to deal in grace; as with the two debtors the Lord tells us of in Luke 7:41, 4241There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? (Luke 7:41‑42): "When they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both." Again, helplessness is no hindrance to God: "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Rom. 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)).
"By chance" (note these words) "there came down a certain priest that way." Ah! we should have thought that was just the one the poor man needed. But, although he secs him, he passes by on the other side. If the poor man had had an offering the priest could have offered it on his behalf, and with its blood made an atonement for his soul. But he was stripped of all, and had nothing, and so the priest was unable to help him.
“Likewise," that is, by chance, Levite... came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. "Why was the Levite no more able to help the half-dead man than the priest? Because the man was unable to do anything. The Levites of old were appointed to teach the people the law (Deut. 33:8-108And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; 9Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant. 10They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar. (Deuteronomy 33:8‑10)), and what they should do to please God. The poor man was, however, beyond teaching what he should, do—he was helpless. Again in this, how he typifies the sinner, who, according to God's Word, is" without strength "! But it is just in that state that God in grace tells us," In due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Rom. 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)).
In blessed contrast to the priest and the Levite we find the "certain Samaritan." He came not, like the others, "by chance," but "as he journeyed." It was by no mere chance that the loving Saviour came to save the sinner, but with purpose of heart He journeyed from the glory to the manger, from the manger to the cross, and from the open grave He has gone back into the glory of God—the mighty Victor over Satan, death, and the grave.
That journey was undertaken to do the will of God (Heb. 10:99Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. (Hebrews 10:9)), and "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)). The good Samaritan did not ask the man for anything: he did not tell him to' do anything—not even to come a step towards him, but he "came where he was," his heart was moved with compassion, and he "bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine." The wine speaks to us of the cleansing blood of Jesus, that "cleanseth us from all sin"; the oil, of the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
Having thus ministered to him, he "set him on his own beast." The man needed a power outside himself to carry him. The very power of God that sustained and preserved the Lord Jesus through this scene (for as perfect Man He took the place of dependence, saying, " Preserve Me, O God: for in Thee do I put My trust '' (Psa. 16:11<<Michtam of David.>> Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. (Psalm 16:1)) is the power that carries and keeps those whom Christ saves. We are "kept by the power of God" (1 Peter 1:55Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:5)).
He "brought him to an inn, and took care of him." An inn is not where travelers make their home, but a place of shelter and refreshment on the journey. So with the rescued sinner; he is brought to the company of those traveling to glory—the church of God on its way through this world (Acts 2:4747Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:47)), cared for and ministered to by the Host to whom Christ has committed the charge of His people, even the Holy Spirit or Comforter. He it is who takes of the things of Christ and shows them to us for our comfort, refreshment, and joy, and to glorify Christ, to whom the Father has given all that He Himself has (John 16:13-1513Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. 14He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. 15All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you. (John 16:13‑15)).
The Good Samaritan departs on the morrow for a little while only, leaving two pence with the host-an amount to meet the man's needs for the day. Yet there was no lack, for "whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee." What a, bright and cheering thought for the poor man, that his deliverer was soon coming for him again! So with us who believe in Jesus. He has said, "Surely I come quickly” (Rev. 22:2020He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)). While He tarries the Holy Spirit ministers to us specially in two ways—by the Word of God and prayer-answering, I believe, to the two pence of the parable. This thought gains confirmation from the fact that Luke, who gives us events in their moral order, brings them to our notice just after the parable.
Mary sat at Jesus' feet, and heard His word: and in the beginning of chapter 11. Christ teaches His disciples to pray. "We know not what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us...." (Rom. 8:2626Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26)).
May He, indeed, so engage our souls through the Word with Christ, and keep us in prayerful dependence, that the longing cry of our hearts, in answer to Christ's parting message to us of His near return, may be, "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." W. HUBERT S. FOSBERY.