A life that points to Christ
The Good Samaritan
From the good Samaritan in Jesus' parable we learn that love for our neighbor crosses every boundary, that mercy is proven in costly action rather than words, and that the truly religious life is one of compassion. This story teaches love in action, and it points to Jesus, who is Himself our compassionate rescuer.
“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,”Luke 10:33
“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.”Luke 10:34
“And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”Luke 10:37
“And 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 neighbour as thyself.”Luke 10:27
Their story, honestly
Jesus told this parable when a lawyer, wanting to justify himself, asked, who is my neighbour. A man was beaten by robbers and left half dead on the road. A priest and a Levite, religious men, saw him and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, a member of a despised group, came, had compassion, bandaged his wounds, put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and paid for his care, promising to cover any further cost. Jesus asked which of the three was neighbor to the wounded man, and the lawyer answered, he that shewed mercy. Jesus said, go, and do thou likewise.
What their life teaches us
First, this story teaches that love recognizes no boundaries; the hero is a hated foreigner, and the neighbor turns out to be anyone in need whom we can help. Second, it teaches that real mercy costs something; the Samaritan gave his time, his goods, his money, and his plans, while the religious men gave only distance. Third, it redefines the question; the lawyer asked who qualifies as his neighbor, and Jesus turned it into, to whom will you be a neighbor. Love is not a feeling to be limited but an action to be shown. The parable dismantles every excuse that would let us pass by on the other side.
How their life points to Christ
The good Samaritan is a picture of costly, boundary-crossing mercy, and Christians have long seen in him a picture of Jesus Himself. We were the ones beaten and left half dead by sin, unable to save ourselves, passed by until Jesus came, had compassion, and paid the full price of our healing at cost to Himself. Jesus not only tells us to love like the Samaritan; He first loved us this way. And His command, go, and do thou likewise, flows from the mercy we have received. The parable points to the Savior who crossed heaven's boundary to rescue His enemies.
Questions people ask
Why did Jesus make a Samaritan the hero?
Because Samaritans were despised by His audience, and making one the model of love shattered their boundaries. The religious men failed, while the outsider showed mercy. It teaches that love recognizes no ethnic or social limits, and that our neighbor is anyone in need whom we are able to help.
How does the good Samaritan point to Jesus?
Christians have long seen ourselves as the man left half dead, unable to save ourselves, and Jesus as the one who crossed every boundary, had compassion, and paid the full price to heal us. He first loved us this way, and only then calls us to go and do likewise toward others.