Who was that
person who asked Jesus this question? A man was a lawyer and he was testing
Jesus. A lawyer tried to trip Jesus into error of teaching. Imagine that!
Another translation stated that he was an expert in religious law. Who in the world would want to test Jesus? A
lawyer did so he asked, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” [Reading
from English Standard Version in Luke 10:25-38]
Was Jesus bothered
about that? Not at all. Jesus knew the hearts of men and He was willing to give
the answers. Jesus’ attitude was wonderful in spite of that religious leaders
tried to do to Him. So Jesus asked a lawyer a question instead of answering
him. Jesus asked him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
A lawyer 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.” Jesus said to the lawyer, “You have answered correctly; do this, and
you will live.” Was the lawyer satisfied? No! But the lawyer wants to justify himself
or he tried to prove, or show to be just, right, legal, or reasonable himself.
Maybe he was
feeling guilty so a lawyer asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Why a lawyer
would asked this question if he was an expert in religious law? Still Jesus
gave a story of the Good Samaritan. I will sum up a story. I believe this was
written for us to read.
The Jewish man was
traveling and the bandits attacked him and left him for dead. The Jewish priest
came by and saw him and went the other way. The Levite came by and saw him and
left. The Samaritan man saw him and felt sorry that a man lying down was hurt
badly. So the Samaritan took the time to treat him and took him to an inn and
told the innkeeper to take care of him until he is well. The Samaritan would be
back to pay the expenses.
So Jesus asked the
lawyer a question, “Which of these three, (the Jewish priest, the Levite, and
the Samaritan), do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who was attacked
by the robbers?” The lawyer said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to
him, “You go, and do the same thing.” [Ref.
Luke 10:25-38] Notice, he did not
say, “Samaritan?”
The New Living
Translation stated, “A despised Samaritan.” The notes from Quick Verse Life
Application Bible said: There was deep hatred between Jews and Samaritans. The
Jews saw themselves as pure descendants of Abraham, while the Samaritans were a
mixed race produced when Jews from the northern kingdom intermarried with other
peoples after Israel’s exile. To this legal expert (lawyer), the person least
likely to act correctly would be the Samaritan. In fact, the lawyer could
not bear to say Samaritan in answer
to Jesus’ question. This legal expert’s attitude betrayed his lack of the very
thing that he had earlier said the law commanded—love. [I believe this cut
deep into the lawyer’s heart.]
Jesus gave an
example how we could show our love to a neighbor who happened to be in need of
help at that moment just like Samaritan did. This should remind us what Jesus
said, “Whoever you have done it unto one of the least of these my brother, you
have done it unto Me.” [Mat.25:40] Dear Jesus, help us to be like You, to love
and to be kind to others.
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