Parable Paper: The Good Samaritan
Everyone in their lifetime, at one point or another, is familiar with the parable of “The Good Samaritan;” the story in which a traveler is beaten, robbed, and left for dead in the streets. Many of his own people pass him and turn a blind eye to him. The irony of the story is that while one would expect his own kind to help him out, it is the least likely person, in those days, that actually helps him out, the Samaritan. Samaritans back in biblical times were despised amongst the Jews (the traveler’s kind). There are many lessons to be learned from this parable by simply reading over the text; but if we dive deeper into the details and analyze the parable, we find a multitude of lessons in which this parable …show more content…
In fact, the Bible says he stood up to test Jesus. According to Luke 10:25-29 (NIV) “On one occasion an expert of the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the law?” he [Jesus] replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly.” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In these verses we see a self-righteous attitude from the “expert” toward Jesus. He clearly thinks himself higher than other people, and surely if he was in the parable I believe he would have passed by the traveler; because he is so concerned with being “righteous” that he would not have stopped to help an unclean man, let alone, a Samaritan. He does not like what Jesus has to say. Even when Jesus tells him that anyone in need is his neighbor, including the Samaritan, and asks him who he thinks the neighbor in the parable was the “expert” cannot even say “Samaritan”; but rather he uses the third person saying “The one who had mercy on …show more content…
In the Kingdom of Heaven, we all live as one. Everyone is each other’s neighbor and everyone helps each other out no matter the cost. The Samaritan in the story pays for a room and board, bandaged the traveler, and even put him on his own donkey. This should be our model for generosity and how we should live as Christians. There is no robbery or theft, nor any evil of any kind. Heaven is a place of perfect harmony where there is neither Jew nor Greek, we are all the same. In contrast, here on earth, it is quite the opposite. Evil seems to dominate, no one wants to be the other’s neighbor and help them out unless something is in it for them. Earth is in complete sin and our only hope is through
Everyone in their lifetime, at one point or another, is familiar with the parable of “The Good Samaritan;” the story in which a traveler is beaten, robbed, and left for dead in the streets. Many of his own people pass him and turn a blind eye to him. The irony of the story is that while one would expect his own kind to help him out, it is the least likely person, in those days, that actually helps him out, the Samaritan. Samaritans back in biblical times were despised amongst the Jews (the traveler’s kind). There are many lessons to be learned from this parable by simply reading over the text; but if we dive deeper into the details and analyze the parable, we find a multitude of lessons in which this parable …show more content…
In fact, the Bible says he stood up to test Jesus. According to Luke 10:25-29 (NIV) “On one occasion an expert of the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the law?” he [Jesus] replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly.” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In these verses we see a self-righteous attitude from the “expert” toward Jesus. He clearly thinks himself higher than other people, and surely if he was in the parable I believe he would have passed by the traveler; because he is so concerned with being “righteous” that he would not have stopped to help an unclean man, let alone, a Samaritan. He does not like what Jesus has to say. Even when Jesus tells him that anyone in need is his neighbor, including the Samaritan, and asks him who he thinks the neighbor in the parable was the “expert” cannot even say “Samaritan”; but rather he uses the third person saying “The one who had mercy on …show more content…
In the Kingdom of Heaven, we all live as one. Everyone is each other’s neighbor and everyone helps each other out no matter the cost. The Samaritan in the story pays for a room and board, bandaged the traveler, and even put him on his own donkey. This should be our model for generosity and how we should live as Christians. There is no robbery or theft, nor any evil of any kind. Heaven is a place of perfect harmony where there is neither Jew nor Greek, we are all the same. In contrast, here on earth, it is quite the opposite. Evil seems to dominate, no one wants to be the other’s neighbor and help them out unless something is in it for them. Earth is in complete sin and our only hope is through