Day 2: The Good Samaritan

The scripture is full of references towards neighbors. You should take some time to pull out an old fashion concordance or do a key-word search on your Bible app for all the instances of “neighbor.” The Bible has over 100 references to your neighbor. From yesterday’s reading we see the New Testament is clear on the importance of loving your neighbor, it’s kind of a salvation thing.

Kind of a Salvation Thing

• You can fulfill the commandments by simply loving your neighbor as you love yourself. (Romans 13:9-10)
• For eternal life you need to love God with all your heart, mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:25-27)
• It’s our ultimate destiny, when we have completed the great commission, God will reconcile us as neighbors and brothers and we will no longer need to teach. (Hebrews 8:6-13)

The Good Samaritan

The Good Samaritan is a story where a Samaritan assisted a man who was robbed and left for dead, but a Priest and Levite passed the injured man prior to the arrival of the Samaritan.

1. If the priest helped the ceremonial law would’ve required a long and expensive purification process.
2. Levites assisted the priests in the religious ceremonies. It would have been shameful for the Levite to assist if the Priest who passed before had not.
3. The Samaritan is the hated outsider. He expended his time, money on aiding a man who likely hated him. He also endangered himself when he took the man to the inn. The Samaritan would’ve been unwelcomed into Jewish parts of town, and potentially carrying a wounded Jew would’ve welcomed community vengeance.

The Good Samaritan is a position of mercy when we have to bear the burden and cost of assisting.

Biblical Devotion

Luke 10:25-37  And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  (26)  He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” (27)  And he answered, “You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself.”  (28)  And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” (29)  But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”  (30)  Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. (31)  Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. (32)  So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. (33) But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. (34)  He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. (35) 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.’ (36)  Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” (37)  He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

John 15:12-13  “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (13)  Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Matthew 25:31-46  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. (32)  Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. (33)  And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. (34) Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (35)  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, (36) I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ (37) Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? (38)  And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? (39) And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ (40) And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (41) “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (42)  For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, (43) I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ (44) Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ (45) Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ (46)  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”