The parable of the good (despised) Samaritan

What is the parable of the good Samaritan and why do I call it the parable of the “despised Samaritan”?

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

This religious law expert, like zealous religious experts of today, could not accept such a simple explanation that cut right to the heart of his man-made religious system. He wanted to deny his own need of a savior by being his own savior. He wanted to be his own law giver, he wanted to be his own law keeper, and he wanted to be his own law judge.

The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29)

The Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16), answered with the familiar parable of the despised Samaritan, who really and truly loved his neighbor as himself. I think we do a disservice to this parable by referring to the despised Samaritan as the good Samaritan, though he was truly “good”, because Jesus was trying to convey a deeper and more meaningful message the way he put it.

Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. (Luke 10:31-32)

“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ (Luke 10:33-35)

This religious law expert must have hated this parable. In his religious system, the priest would be considered to be the holiest and closest to God. Jesus Christ showed it’s the heart’s condition that is really important. The priest’s position and status did not count because his heart’s condition was bad. Since only Levites could be priests, Jesus also included a Temple assistant, who would be considered to be next in holiness. But that man’s religious self-righteous holiness did not count because his heart’s condition was bad. Then, Jesus gave a horrible and disgusting twist to the story by bringing in a “despised Samaritan” — and worst of all — having that despised Samaritan act out of a heart of love. This was brilliant because everyone else in the crowd could identify with being a despised Samaritan. They weren’t priests or even temple assistants. They were just common people. In fact, there were probably some despised Samaritans in that very crowd. Just in case the religious law expert missed the point of the story, Jesus asked…

“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. (Luke 10:36)

This must have completely frustrated all the self-righteous religious people. The answer is so obvious that this parable has been used as a byword for mercy ever since then. So, as much as he probably hated to answer, he really didn’t have any choice. He tried to wiggle out of the full impact of the parable by not naming the despised Samaritan in his answer. But he couldn’t escape the truth! So, instead of naming the despised Samaritan, he described his actions and his attitude in acting out of a heart of love.

The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”

Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” (Luke 10:37)

This is a supremely profound answer. It amplifies and clarifies the previous answer.

If this religious law expert was just a self-righteous law pretender, not a real law keeper, he would have been horrified at the answer. It would mean all his religious zeal didn’t count for anything if he didn’t “love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

If this religious law expert was a real law keeper, like the despised Samaritan, who demonstrated the keeping of the essence of the law because he “showed him mercy,” he would have worshiped the Lord Jesus Christ. Others, who recognized they were sinners and couldn’t be their own savior, worshiped the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior.

STUDY DEEPER:

Now, let’s consider this account more deeply to see what the answer reveals about the Lord Jesus Christ. There are 3 parts to the answer: God is holy, God is light, and God is love. Continue reading 3 inseparable characteristics of a triune God!

In John 3, in the conversation with another religious law expert who was seeking an answer from Jesus, we learn that God loves us…

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18)

Have you responded to this love? Do you have this love in your heart? Which of the 3 men in the parable of the despised Samaritan do you relate to:

1. The priest with his doctorate degree and his position and his self-righteous religious life — “saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by” — content in his self-righteous pretend law-keeping piety, and probably on his way to hell.
2. The temple assistant desperately working to be accepted by priests and other temple assistants to prove to himself that he is acceptable to God — “looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side” — unable to humble himself or cease from his own works long enough to help, or worse yet, devoid of love in his heart that would even want to help.
3. The despised Samaritan — who felt compassion for him, bandaged his wounds, took him to an inn, and paid for him — acting from a heart filled with the love that should come from the God of love.

If this introspection finds you other than you would have it, don’t worry, it finds me there too, and I know I have acted in the same was as all three of those men at one time or another in my life. Just as I call myself a recovering elder brother, I want to think of myself as a despised Samaritan — who knows he’s a sinner — and knows he needs a savior. Please feel free to write us or join the conversation below.