the good samaritan jesus and the lawyer who wanted to trick him

Who is the Good Samaritan?

[Lk 10:25–37] It is about a traveler who is stripped of clothing, beaten, and left half dead alongside the road. First a Jewish priest and then a Levite comes by, but both avoid the man. Finally, a Samaritan happens upon the traveler. Although Samaritans and Jews despised each other, the Samaritan helps the injured man. Jesus is described as telling the parable in response to the question from a lawyer, "And who is my neighbor?" The conclusion is that the neighbor figure in the parable is the one who shows mercy to the injured fellow man—that is, the Samaritan.

Who said the Samaritan was a man of another race?

Martin Luther King Jr., in his April 1968 " I've Been to the Mountaintop " speech, described the Samaritan as "a man of another race". Sundee Tucker Frazier saw the Samaritan more specifically as an example of a " mixed-race " person.

What is the meaning of the parable of the Good Samaritan?

The phrase " Good Samaritan ", meaning someone who helps a stranger, derives from this parable, and many hospitals and charitable organizations are named after the Good Samaritan.

What is the model of Samaritans neighborly behavior?

Many see 2 Chronicles 28:8–15 as the model for the Samaritan's neighborly behavior in the parable. In Chronicles, Northern Israelite ancestors of Samaritans treat Judean enemies as fellow-Israelite neighbors. After comparing the earlier account with the later parable presented to the expert in Israel's religious law, one could conclude: "Given the number and significance of these parallels and points of correspondence it is hard to imagine how a first-century scholar of Scripture could hear the parable and not think of the story of the merciful Samaritans of 2 Chronicles 28."

Why were the tensions between the Samaritans so high in the early decades of the 1st century

Tensions between them were particularly high in the early decades of the 1st century because Samaritans had desecrated the Jewish Temple at Passover with human bones. Due to this hatred, some think that the lawyer's phrase "The one who had mercy on him" ( Luke 10:37) may indicate a reluctance to name the Samaritan.

How many lepers did Jesus heal?

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus heals ten lepers and only the Samaritan among them thanks him, [Luke 17:11–19] although Luke 9:51–56 depicts Jesus receiving a hostile reception in Samaria. Luke's favorable treatment of Samaritans is in line with Luke's favorable treatment of the weak and of outcasts, generally.

What is the allegory of Adam after the fall?

According to them, under the figure of a wounded man is described the condition of Adam after the fall; from which they infer that the power of acting well was not wholly extinguished in him; because he is said to be only half-dead. As if it had been the design of Christ, in this passage, to speak of the corruption of human nature, and to inquire whether the wound which Satan inflicted on Adam were deadly or curable; nay, as if he had not plainly, and without a figure, declared in another passage, that all are dead, but those whom he quickens by his voice ( John 5:25 ). As little plausibility belongs to another allegory, which, however, has been so highly satisfactory, that it has been admitted by almost universal consent, as if it had been a revelation from heaven. This Samaritan they imagine to be Christ, because he is our guardian; and they tell us that wine was poured, along with oil, into the wound, because Christ cures us by repentance and by a promise of grace. They have contrived a third subtlety, that Christ does not immediately restore health, but sends us to the Church, as an innkeeper, to be gradually cured. I acknowledge that I have no liking for any of these interpretations; but we ought to have a deeper reverence for Scripture than to reckon ourselves at liberty to disguise its natural meaning. And, indeed, any one may see that the curiosity of certain men has led them to contrive these speculations, contrary to the intention of Christ.

What did Jesus say about the man who fell into the hands of robbers?

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on 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,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have’” (Luke 10:30-35).

What did Jesus call the man who asked the question?

Many translations call the man who asked the question a “lawyer.”. In Jesus’ day a lawyer was someone who knew the Old Testament, was trained in theology, and was gifted in public debate. The religious leaders probably sent him in order to trap Jesus into saying something foolish.

Who was the woman who was found in the front door of an apartment?

This time he killed her. Eventually someone called the police who arrived to find the body of a 28-year-old woman. Her name was Kitty Genovese.

What does Jesus ask the lawyer?

The lawyer asks a Law question. So Jesus turns it around and sees if the man can come up with a Law answer. That’s the arena this guy is thinking in. Jesus asks him: “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” In other words, what would you have to do if you’re going to gain eternal life on the basis of the Law?

What is Christ's love?

Christ’s love is sacrificial love , like how the Samaritan helps the man in the story: “Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’”

Is Jesus a good Samaritan?

Dear friends, the good news today is this: Jesus is our Good Samaritan. He comes to us where we are, he has compassion on us, and he does everything it takes to give us the care and the healing we need. Oh, and one more thing: He also teaches us Christians how to love our neighbor.

What is the meaning of the parable of the Good Samaritan?

The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most famous parables Jesus ever told. The term, good samaritan, has become synonymous with someone who shows mercy. It’s a positive name. Even many organizations use it to show how they care for people. But the good samaritan meaning would have been much different to Jesus 1st century audience.

What does Jesus say about the Pharisees?

This isn’t the only time Jesus makes this point. He criticizes the Pharisees for only cleaning the outside of the cup but neglecting the inside (Matthew 23:25, Luke 11:39). Jesus is getting at the same point here. It’s where your heart is that matters. And for these characters in the story, it was in the wrong place.

What is the scene in the book of Luke 10:30?

Scene 1: The Setup. The story of the Good Samaritan is fictional, but the details are pulled from real life. Luke 10:30 starts off with a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. This road was known to be dangerous. Thieves would often hide in the many caves, curves, and cliffs and ambush unsuspecting travelers.

What happens if we don't care about ourselves?

If we aren’t careful we can easily get caught up living for only ourselves. Our lives become all about us, our needs, and what we want. That’s a terrible story to tell with our lives. And it won’t change anyone.

What is the job of a priest in Jesus' story?

Both of these first two people are clergymen. A priest’s job was to officiate temple sacrifices and Levites helped maintain the temple and its’ services. Both of these jobs required them to remain ceremonially clean while on duty. There was a list of things they couldn’t do, one of them being touching a dead body, or really any bodily fluid.

Does Jesus stop with the Samaritan?

Jesus doesn’t stop with the Samaritan just checking on the guy; he goes above and beyond (Luke 10:34-35). The good Samaritan not only has compassion but his compassion moves him to action. He cleans and binds up his wounds, brings him to an inn, cared for him, and paid for his stay.

Is Jesus smart?

But Jesus is pretty smart too, and how he responds is brilliant. Rather than answer this trick question, Jesus asks another question (Luke 10:26). He knows that this guy would rather talk than listen. So Jesus throws the question back at him. What do you think? And here’s the thing… he answered correctly (Luke 10:27-28). He gets it right.

Where was the Jericho in the story of the Good Samaritan?

The Jericho referred to in the story of the Good Samaritan is not Joshua’s Jericho, where ‘the walls came tumbling down’ and Rahab the prostitute heroically hid the Hebrew spies. 1st century Jericho was a mile and a half south of the ancient city. It provided houses and services for the administrative staff that served the winter palaces at Jericho, which had been renovated and built by Herod the Great. At the time of Jesus, there was no longer a royal court in Jericho – King Herod was dead – but it was still a thriving city.

What was the Samaritan?

The Samaritan was a foreigner, far from home.

What did Levite and Priests have to do to serve in the Temple?

Priests and Levite had an obligation to obey laws which made them ritually clean, suitable for the prestigious task of serving in the Temple – but both men are travelling away from Jerusalem where the Temple was, not towards it.

What is the most misinterpreted parable of Jesus?

The story of the Good Samaritan may be the most misinterpreted of Jesus’ parables.

What does the people listening to the story expect from Jesus?

The people listening to the story expect the Jewish men, rather than the Samaritan, to know how to live according to the Torah. Jesus turns this expectation on its head.

What would a Jewish audience have responded to the story?

A Jewish audience would have responded to the story, since there is a rich Jewish tradition of active compassion. All Jews were expected to help someone in need.

Who dresses the wounds and bandages them up?

But a Samaritan sees him, dresses the wounds, bandages them up, props the wounded man on his own donkey, brings him to an inn, arranges bed and food for him, and makes future provisions for his care. Only then does he continue on his journey.

Who is the good Samaritan?

Our true neighbor, pictured by the good Samaritan, is Jesus Christ, who alone can save sinners. The Parable of the Good Samaritan, like so many passages of the Bible that are unfortunately misunderstood, points to the preeminence and centrality of Jesus Christ. He is the focus of the entire Bible.

Why did Samaritan go to the man?

Instead of passing by on the other side of the road because he was worried about the law, he went to the man and bound up his wounds. He also poured on oil and wine.

What does the parable of the Good Samaritan teach us?

“Good Samaritan” has even become a term used to describe a helpful or charitable person. According to this common interpretation, the parable teaches that when we see our neighbor in need, we are to help. Yet, if this is what Jesus is saying, it would mean that the half-dead man on the side of the road is the neighbor of the parable, the person in need, the neighbor we are supposed to help.

What does the parable of the half dead man mean?

Yet, if this is what Jesus is saying, it would mean that the half-dead man on the side of the road is the neighbor of the parable, the person in need, the neighbor we are supposed to help. A fact that is often missed, however, is that ...

What is the problem with preaching this parable from the pulpit?

The problem with the way preachers often teach this parable from their pulpits begins right here. The lawyer is trying to trap Jesus. He wants to get Jesus to incriminate Himself by saying something like, “If you want eternal life, just believe on me.”. He could then be charged with teaching contrary to the law.

What is the Greek word for a man who was robbed?

The priest, Levite, and Samaritan are all specifically defined people. The man who was beaten and robbed, however, is merely an anthrōpos, the Greek word for a human being of any sex, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, or occupation. He represents us all.

Why is the law a curse?

The law is a curse to us because we cannot keep all of its points perfectly: “For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who doesn’t continue in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them'” ( Galatians 3:10, see also James 2:10 ).

Overview

Narrative

Historical context

Interpretation

Authenticity

As a metaphor and name

Art and popular culture

Legal presence

What Law Did They Break?

I. The Question 25-29

II. The Parable 30-35

III. The Application 36-37

• “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:36-37). Now we pass to the end of the story. In the beginning the lawyer had asked, “Who is my neighbor?” He wanted a definition and a limitati...

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