Love Thy Neighbor

And 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.

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; and whatsoever thou spends more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

Which now of these three, thinnest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?

Luke 10: 30-36

Like many passages in the scriptures, there are many lessons that can be derived. Jesus’ purpose in this parable was to challenge the hearer to understand who his neighbor really was in this life. He was questioned by a lawyer about who his neighbor was after the lawyer quoted the law concerning love. The lesson on loving thy neighbor is really at the heart of this lesson. However, the real lesson that can be gained is learning how to love your neighbor even in the midst of trying to understand who your neighbor really is.

There are two main characters in this passage of scripture. The first person was a certain man who “went down” from Jerusalem to Jericho. One might assume that this “certain man” was Jewish. One might also infer that his going down from Jerusalem to Jericho was not the best direction to go in. It at least was not wise to travel this road by yourself. There are many examples in the Bible where people traveled in groups of at least two persons in order not to get attacked by bandits like unfortunately this man did. This poor “certain man” was beaten stripped and left for half dead.

The second man was called out as a Samaritan. He also traveled this same road. He also appeared to be by himself. However, when he saw the condition of the first man the Scripture says that the Samaritan had compassion on this certain man and he (the Samaritan) “came where he (the certain man) was.” Not only did he come where he was but has compassion took over to be able to grant the help that this certain man sorely stood in need of, even to the point of binding his wounds, carrying him to an inn and paying for his stay until he had completely recovered.

There were other men that passed along that same road that day … and at that exact time. There were the thieves who wounded the man. There was the priest. There was also the Levite. All of these men chose not to give help. All of these men were truly not this certain man’s neighbor.

Giving Help

To understand the significance of the Samaritan and the help that he gave, one must first understand the relationship between the Samaritans and the Jews in that day. We have to assume that this certain man was of the Jewish nation because of the fact that Jesus was speaking to a Jewish audience. In particular, Jesus was speaking to a Jewish lawyer or one who practiced the law of the Jewish nation. To even bring up the thought of a Samaritan helping a Jew was close to being blasphemous. The Samaritans and the Jews did not just have racial strife. They actually had a great disdain or hatred for one another based upon the law and upon their respective worshipping of God.

The origin of the strife came about during the time of Jewish captivity by the Assyrians. The Samaritans were sent by the King of Assyria to inhabit the Land of Israel during this time of captivity and therefore were despised by the Jews. In the time of Zerubbabel, the Samaritans sought to form an alliance with the returning captive Jews and unite with them in building the temple. Because of the Jews distain for the Samaritans that offer was rejected.

During Jesus’s time, there are references to the enmity between the Samaritan’s and the Jews. In John chapter 4, Jesus goes through Samaria and meets a woman at a well. The purpose of this meeting was to teach this woman about the “living water” that the Jesus had to offer her. During this discourse the Samaritan woman states the following:

Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

John 4: 20

She is clearly making a distinction in the worship of God between the two peoples. She is also giving insight to the fact that since the Samaritans were rejected in building the temple in Jerusalem, they were forced to find another place in which to worship God.

In another passage, when Jesus was admonishing the Jews and trying to get them to understand truth goes beyond lineage. He was trying to help them see that if they would accept Him as coming from the Father that they could be truly free from the bondage that they had placed themselves under in adhering to their understanding of the law. At one point in this discourse, the Jews were so angry that they said the following:

Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

John 8:48

This was meant to be one of the most derogatory things that they could say to him. Notice that they did not call him a devil. They called him a Samaritan who had a devil.

It’s in this context that Jesus’ parable begins to take on a greater significance. This Samaritan, who was despised and hated of the Jews came to where this Jewish man was. The Samaritan pressed through all of the prejudice and hurt that had been hurled at him and his people to provide comfort and care to a man who basically was his enemy. Jesus had the audacity to call him his neighbor. The priest, who by his very office, should have been the one to minister to the needs of his fellow Jew. However, “he passed by on the other side.” The temple worker, the Levite, who was responsible for the upkeep of the very place that the Samaritan could not enter, should have also come to the aid of this poor man. However, he too “passed by on the other side.” Only the Samaritan, this Jewish man’s enemy, showed a heart of who a true neighbor should be.

Bearing One Another’s Burdens

Galatians 6: 1-3 says the following:

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

The priest and the Levite may have thought that the certain man had no business going from Jerusalem to Jericho. In their minds, he was going from the holy city to a place that was beneath the stature of the Jewish nation. This certain man could be said to have been overtaken in a fault and maybe the religious leaders thought that he got what he deserved. Or, being less cynical, maybe they just did not want to be bothered and that is why they passed by on the other side. Whatever, the reason they failed to bear this man’s burden and so fulfill the law of Christ.

The Samaritan, on the other hand, lived out the scripture and admonishment that Paul gave to the church at Galatia. He actually was “more spiritual” by nature than the religious leaders. He, by nature, maintained a spirit of meekness by virtue of his position in the Jew’s sight. Meekness was and is not weakness. Meekness is actually quiet strength. This Samaritan did not draw attention to himself or his deeds. He just did what he had to do because of the compassion that he had for this Jewish man. He didn’t ask for anything in return. In fact, he paid, out of his own pocket, to take care of this man to ensure his complete recovery.

In our day and time, how many Samaritan’s are among us? When we see someone in a fault, what is our response? Notice the Scripture does not say when a brother is overtaken in a fault we are to restore. If just says when a man is overtaken in a fault. Our world has become so divided over the silliest stuff. In the United States of America, we seem to be focused on political separation. Family members have fallen out over “Build Back Better” and “Make America Great Again.” Unfortunately, the church has also allowed this division to enter into her ranks. In America, have we ever thought about coalescing under the idea of being “One Nation Under God?” Within the church, is it possible for us all to fall behind the One who says that He is “the way, the truth and the life?”

This can only happen when we begin to understand who our neighbor truly is and understanding how to bear one another’s burdens in love. The Samaritan was an enemy of the Jew yet he crossed over the “party line” to administer healing and help. He wasn’t a know-it-all. He didn’t have a title. He considered himself and was only equipped with compassion and a willingness to help. Can we go beyond our prejudices and even our bigotry to help someone who doesn’t look like me or talk like me or more importantly have my exact same point of view? As a Christian, our main purpose in life is as an Ambassador of Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 5:20). As an Ambassador, we cease to represent ourselves in order to represent the one who has sent us. People are hurting. People have been like this certain man, battered and beaten and stripped of all self worth. They have been wounded by an adversary, the devil, who could care less about their very souls. As Ambassadors, Jesus sends us into world to care for those very souls … those who are our neighbors!