“Who is my neighbor?” – Luke 10:25-37 – Part 2 of 2
Luke 10:30-37 The story continues…
Jesus tells a story about a man who, going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, falls into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
In the man’s helpless state, we find three people in the story that are able to him.
A priest happened to be going down the same road…
When he saw him, he passed by on the other side (v.31)
So too, a Levite…
When he came up to the place and saw him, he passed by on the other side (v.32)
But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was…
When he saw him, he felt compassion for him (v.33)
Each of these three men saw the same thing. They saw someone who was beat up, bloody, half-dead, with no possessions. They each noticed the same exact thing. They looked at someone who was in desperate need, a breath away from death, unless someone intervened. The first two had the exact same reaction, choosing to pass by on the other side of the road. But it was the least likely of the three, the Samaritan, whose reaction was much different. Upon seeing the person in need, he felt compassion!
It is interesting that the priest is the first to come onto the scene. He is a man who, on earth, represents piety to its fullest extent. He is the one who offers sacrifices to God in behalf of others, yet he does not act in behalf of this man during this scene. This compassionate act that the Samaritan man made, as many compassionate acts do, involved a concrete price that the Samaritan was willing to pay. Compassion is not easy. Check out Luke 9:57-62 as this relates to the cost of discipleship. (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Luke, Darrell Bock, 1033)
He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.
The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper.
“Look after him and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.”
After finishing the story, Jesus asked, “which of these three do you think became a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” (v.36)
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Jesus uses many different verbs to describe all of the Samaritan’s actions on behalf of the man in need: “he goes to him; bandages him, pours oil and wine on his wounds; puts him on his donkey, carries him to the inn, and takes care of him, even to the point of leaving enough money behind to make sure the man has two weeks lodging to recover” while also promising to return to cover any extra costs. (NIV Application Commentary: Luke, Darrell Bock, 301)
Notice Jesus’ question to the man in verse 36. Most English versions state “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor…?” But the Greek actually has Jesus asking, “who became (gi÷nomai) a neighbor to this man?” This is so huge!! “Thus, compassion, response, and love make a neighbor, not locale or race. One should not seek to narrowly define who is a neighbor so as to limit ones responsibility. The obligation is not to see what can be avoided, but to render aid when it can be readily supplied.” (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Luke, Darrell Bock, 1034)
Prayer:
Lord, please open our eyes to those in need. Whether it is someone who is lying by a road or someone who is sitting next to us in class. Help us see the world through Your eyes, feel with your heart, and make our faith alive as your hands and feet. Amen.
Luke 10:30-37 The story continues…
Jesus tells a story about a man who, going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, falls into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
In the man’s helpless state, we find three people in the story that are able to him.
A priest happened to be going down the same road…
When he saw him, he passed by on the other side (v.31)
So too, a Levite…
When he came up to the place and saw him, he passed by on the other side (v.32)
But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was…
When he saw him, he felt compassion for him (v.33)
Each of these three men saw the same thing. They saw someone who was beat up, bloody, half-dead, with no possessions. They each noticed the same exact thing. They looked at someone who was in desperate need, a breath away from death, unless someone intervened. The first two had the exact same reaction, choosing to pass by on the other side of the road. But it was the least likely of the three, the Samaritan, whose reaction was much different. Upon seeing the person in need, he felt compassion!
It is interesting that the priest is the first to come onto the scene. He is a man who, on earth, represents piety to its fullest extent. He is the one who offers sacrifices to God in behalf of others, yet he does not act in behalf of this man during this scene. This compassionate act that the Samaritan man made, as many compassionate acts do, involved a concrete price that the Samaritan was willing to pay. Compassion is not easy. Check out Luke 9:57-62 as this relates to the cost of discipleship. (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Luke, Darrell Bock, 1033)
He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.
The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper.
“Look after him and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.”
After finishing the story, Jesus asked, “which of these three do you think became a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” (v.36)
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Jesus uses many different verbs to describe all of the Samaritan’s actions on behalf of the man in need: “he goes to him; bandages him, pours oil and wine on his wounds; puts him on his donkey, carries him to the inn, and takes care of him, even to the point of leaving enough money behind to make sure the man has two weeks lodging to recover” while also promising to return to cover any extra costs. (NIV Application Commentary: Luke, Darrell Bock, 301)
Notice Jesus’ question to the man in verse 36. Most English versions state “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor…?” But the Greek actually has Jesus asking, “who became (gi÷nomai) a neighbor to this man?” This is so huge!! “Thus, compassion, response, and love make a neighbor, not locale or race. One should not seek to narrowly define who is a neighbor so as to limit ones responsibility. The obligation is not to see what can be avoided, but to render aid when it can be readily supplied.” (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Luke, Darrell Bock, 1034)
Prayer:
Lord, please open our eyes to those in need. Whether it is someone who is lying by a road or someone who is sitting next to us in class. Help us see the world through Your eyes, feel with your heart, and make our faith alive as your hands and feet. Amen.
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