Page 1 of 15 February 8 Lesson 10 SERVING NEIGHBORS, SERVING GOD DEVOTIONAL READING: Matthew 22:33-40 BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: Luke 10:25-37 LUKE 10:25-37 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. Teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life? it? 26 What is written in the Law? he replied. How do you read 27 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. 28 You have answered correctly, Jesus replied. Do this and you will live. 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, And who is my neighbor? 30 In reply Jesus said: A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the 1 1
Page 2 of 15 innkeeper. Look after him, he said, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have. 36 Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? 37 The expert in the law replied, The one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him, Go and do likewise. Graphic: LiquidLibrary / Getty Images / Thinkstock KEY VERSES Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? The expert in the law replied, The one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him, Go and do likewise. Luke 10:36, 37 LESSON AIMS After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to: 1. Summarize the message of Jesus parable of the good Samaritan. 2. Explain the significance of Jesus use of a Samaritan in answering the question, Who is my neighbor? 2 2
Page 3 of 15 3. Identify one person locally who needs a neighbor in the sense Jesus uses that term and make a plan to be that neighbor. Introduction A. Stump the Expert B. Lesson Background I. Great Questions (LUKE 10:25-29) A. Inheriting Eternal Life (vv. 25-28) B. Identifying One s Neighbor (v. 29) Questions That Reveal II. Compelling Story (LUKE 10:30-37) A. Failure (vv. 30-32) B. Compassion (vv. 33-35) C. Application (vv. 36, 37) Conclusion The Spirit of the Samaritan A. Challenges to Our Thinking B. Prayer C. Thought to Remember LESSON OUTLINE Introduction A. Stump the Expert Have you ever seen a TV game show on which ordinary people try to match wits with experts? It is a format that has proven popular off and on through the years. The rules are different from show to show, but the idea is for the contestant to prove that the so-called expert is not as knowledgeable as one might expect. Since 1992, Apple Inc. has hosted a Stump the Experts segment, in a game show format, at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. Of course, game shows often rely on topics that have wide popular appeal but ultimately are of little consequence things like sports or movies. Or the topic might be certain issues of science or history the kind of thing a person learns in school but seldom remembers. The important questions of life are not the subject matter of most game shows. The Gospels show us that some people in Jesus day tried to play stump-the-expert with him. Appearing sincere, they really were attempting to put Jesus to shame by asking questions he could not answer effectively. 3 3
Page 4 of 15 But Jesus always overcame these challenges. In so doing, he fashioned answers that addressed something of greater significance than what the questioners had asked. Jesus was the master of life s most significant questions. Today s text is an example of this, perhaps the most famous of all such examples. B. Lesson Background Today s lesson is best understood by first familiarizing ourselves with the characters that appear in it. The text begins with Jesus being confronted with a question from an expert in the law, or what some translations simply call a lawyer. This refers to someone very different from modern lawyers. This first-century Jewish lawyer was not a legal advocate like a lawyer of today, but was an expert in the Law of Moses someone who taught that law and its application. We might compare this kind of lawyer with a scholar of the Bible today. In responding to this expert s challenge, Jesus introduced some typical characters in the form of a story. One was a Jewish priest. As descendants of Aaron (Exodus 29:9), priests offered sacrifices in Israel s temple in Jerusalem. Their duties were sacred to all the Jewish people. Another character in Jesus story is a Levite, a member of Israel s tribe of Levi. Levites assisted the priests in the temple (Numbers 3:5-9). Levites might be masons or carpenters who maintained the temple grounds, musicians accompanying worship, janitors who cleaned up after the crowds, or even animal handlers who managed the livestock that was sacrificed (1 Chronicles 23:27-31). The role of Levites was not as distinct as that of the priests, but was nonetheless sacred to the Jews. In contrast with these two is a Samaritan, who stands at the center of the story. Jews and Samaritans were rivals for the land of Israel and for the claim to be God s people (Luke 9:51-56; John 4:9, 19-22). Assyria deported many people of the tribes of northern Israel in 722 BC and brought captives from elsewhere into the land of Israel. This resulted in intermarriages between those imported captives and the Israelites who remained, those not taken into exile (2 Kings 17; Ezra 4:2, 10). The descendants of such intermarriages became the Samaritans. The designation Samaria comes from 1 Kings 16:24. The pure blood Jews viewed Samaritans with disdain. This resulted in antagonism between Samaritans and the Jews who returned from the Babylonian exile after 539 BC (Ezra 4:1-5; Nehemiah 4:1, 2). Jews were afraid of being corrupted by those who were not pure Israelites, so post-exilic Jews had few dealings with Samaritans (John 4:9). Jesus enemies tried to discredit him by labeling him a Samaritan (John 8:48). Thus a Samaritan serves as a perfect foil in Jesus story, as we shall see. Today s text is found in a section of Luke in which Jesus is teaching his followers and responding to his critics while making his way slowly and fatefully toward Jerusalem (see Luke 9:51). Jesus had already warned his disciples that he was to be crucified and rise from the dead, something that they could not grasp (9:21, 22, 44). It has been said that the cross casts a shadow over every episode in this section of Luke s Gospel. 4 4
Page 5 of 15 I. Great Questions (LUKE 10:25-29) A. Inheriting Eternal Life (vv. 25-28) 25. On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. Teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life? From the crowd following Jesus, an expert in the law (see the Lesson Background) emerges to pose a question of great significance. There can be no more important issue than that of obtaining eternal life! This is not the only time Jesus is asked this question (see Luke 18:18). Luke notes that the man has an agenda: he is putting Jesus to a test. The lawyer hopes to show Jesus up before the crowd. Should Jesus answer deviate from established teaching, the expert in the law can criticize Jesus for his ignorance or failure to respect tradition. What Do You Think? What questions do unbelievers ask today to test or trip up Christians? How can we prepare ourselves for these? Talking Points for Your Discussion Questions concerning miracles Questions about the prevalence of evil Questions concerning human origins Other 26. What is written in the Law? he replied. How do you read it? Jesus responds to the question with questions of his own. Jesus inquisitor is an expert in the law, so surely he has a good answer already thought out. By first asking the man to answer his own question, Jesus compels the man to go on record before the crowd regarding the allimportant question of how to inherit eternal life. The expert in the law also will have to consider whether he is acting on what he believes to be true. The test of Jesus conformity to established tradition and doctrine becomes a test of the man s sincerity. 27. 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. The man obviously has thought through this question himself since he has two passages from the Law of Moses as a ready response: Deuteronomy 6:5, commanding love for God, and Leviticus 19:18, commanding love for neighbor. In Jesus day, many teachers identify these as the central commands of the law (compare Mark 12:28-33). The first demands absolute devotion to the one and only God. The second demands love for neighbor that is based on that 5 5
Page 6 of 15 devotion to God; if God loves all of his people, then his people must certainly love each other (compare 1 John 3:17). What Do You Think? What are some ways to express love for God in each of the four areas mentioned? Talking Points for Your Discussion Regarding heart Regarding soul Regarding strength Regarding mind 28. You have answered correctly, Jesus replied. Do this and you will live. Jesus affirms that the man s answer to his own question is correct. Loving God and loving one s neighbor are foundational in the life of the one who belongs to God and who receives God s gift of eternal life. But is the issue as simple as keeping these two commands? How do we know whether we have kept them well enough? Does God give eternal life only to those who measure up? These questions are important, but we remember that Jesus is being tested. Therefore he leaves such questions unposed and unanswered to see what the expert in the law will do next. The man now has two options: (1) he can shut up or (2) he can continue to push the test. Option 1 would make it appear that he agrees with Jesus, an outcome unacceptable to the man. So he chooses Option 2. B. Identifying One s Neighbor (v. 29) 29. But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, And who is my neighbor? Luke explains the motive for the man s follow-up question: he is attempting to justify himself. That is, the expert in the law wants to make himself out to be righteous. But how can he say that he has loved his neighbor well enough when there are so many potential neighbors to be loved? Does the category neighbor include only fellow Israelites? all and only those who keep the law faithfully? only those he sees daily? If the circle can be drawn small enough, perhaps one can say, Yes, I have truly loved my neighbor. So the lawyer s strategy is to narrow the scope of those who can be called neighbor. What Do You Think? What are some ways people try to justify themselves today? 6 6
Page 7 of 15 Talking Points for Your Discussion Regarding things they should do but don t Regarding things they shouldn t do but do anyway QUESTIONS THAT REVEAL Twenty Questions was a popular game show on radio and TV in the 1940s and 1950s. It grew out of a parlor game in which one person thinks of something and the other players try to guess what it is by asking no more than 20 questions that can be answered only yes or no. Key to winning the game is careful selection of questions to narrow down possible answers. That requires quick, sharp thinking under game-show pressure. The law expert s first question, Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? was not of the knee-jerk variety, thought up on the spur of the moment in a game-show environment. He obviously had pondered the question well in advance. He also obviously thought that his question (and follow-up questions, if needed) would expose Jesus as a false teacher to the crowd. But as the verbal sparring progressed, it was the man s heart that was revealed. People still have questions about Jesus today. Some questions come from the lips of sincere seekers. Others originate from evil hearts that only want to discredit. Ultimately our questions about Jesus end up revealing more about us than about him, don t they? C. R. B. II. Compelling Story (LUKE 10:30-37) A. Failure (vv. 30-32) 30. In reply Jesus said: A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. To answer the man s question or to force him to answer his own question Jesus launches into a dramatic story. Its setting is the familiar geographical feature of the steep, winding road between Jerusalem and Jericho. This route of about 15 miles involves a descent of roughly 3,000 feet as a person travels from Jerusalem to Jericho; thus it is appropriate to speak of such a journey as going down (contrast up to Jerusalem in Luke 18:31; 19:28). The factor of down is important, as we shall see. The robbers in the story take advantage of the road s many hiding places to ambush the traveler. They take everything of value, including the man s clothes. To assure that he does not pursue them, they inflict serious injury, leaving him wavering between life and death. 31. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. A priest appears along the road (see the Lesson Background). Surely a priest will assist! But 7 7
Page 8 of 15 the priest goes to the other side of the road. We might imagine the priest s justification for avoiding the man after seeing him: The robbers may still be nearby, waiting to ambush another victim me! But does the potential danger relieve him of his duty to help? Contact with the man could make the priest ceremonially unclean for a period of time, and so unable to perform his duties in the temple. But the priest is traveling down the road, meaning toward Jericho and away from the temple. This indicates that he will not need to perform priestly duties for many days. In the end, the priest s inaction is nothing other than failure to extend love as he should. What Do You Think? What reasons do people today give for ignoring someone in need? How do we avoid rationalizing in this regard? Talking Points for Your Discussion Reasons Christians give Reasons non-christians give 32. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. The second man to pass is a Levite, also set apart for sacred duty (see the Lesson Background). His reaction is the same as the priest s. Neither man is willing to take the risk or undergo inconvenience or expense to help the victim, to act in practical love to save his life. Both pass by, as if nothing has happened. Assyria Uh-sear-ee-uh. Babylonian Bab-ih-low-nee-unz. denarii dih-nair-ee or dih-nair-eye. Levi Lee-vye. Levite Lee-vite. Samaria Suh-mare-ee-uh. Samaritan Suh-mare-uh-tun. HOW TO SAY IT B. Compassion (vv. 33-35) 33. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 8 8
Page 9 of 15 A Samaritan appears on the scene. This is unexpected because a Samaritan would not normally be traveling to or from Jerusalem, where the Jewish temple is located (see John 4:9, 20 and the Lesson Background). The road that he travels does not lead to Samaritan territory but between two Jewish cities. He is away from his home. Is anyone whom he might meet on this road a neighbor? Surely not, if he is a Samaritan and they are Jews! But Jesus notes that the Samaritan sees the victim and takes pity on him. The Samaritan feels deeply the suffering of this fellow human being. That compassion is like that which Jesus demonstrates in Luke 7:13. The Samaritan is demonstrating something that the priest and Levite do not: a response to a needy person like the response of God to needy humanity. 9 9
Page 10 of 15 Visual for Lesson 10 Point to this visual as you ask, How can we adopt Jesus viewpoint 10 10
Page 11 of 15 of neighbor as our own? 34. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The Samaritan s compassion compels him to act. He approaches the man instead of avoiding him, in contrast with the priest and the Levite. The Samaritan cleanses the man s wounds with olive oil and wine, a common medicinal practice of the time (compare Mark 6:13; James 5:14). The Samaritan applies bandages perhaps made from his own clothing to the man s wounds and gets him to an inn. In short, the one providing aid does everything necessary to render the proper on-scene and follow-on care necessary to reverse the victim s life-threatening condition. Jesus is therefore describing a great price that the Samaritan pays, both in time and resources, to care for the stranger, who is most likely a Jew. But there s more. 35. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. Look after him, he said, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have. When the sun rises the next day, the Samaritan continues his journey. But he does not end his compassionate service then and there. Rather, he gives the innkeeper two denarii, each equal to a day s wage for a typical laborer (compare Matthew 20:2). This is to pay for the man s continuing care: for food, shelter, and attention to his wounds and recovery. The Samaritan also promises to return to the inn to pay any additional expenses incurred for the man s recovery. The victim himself has nothing, for the thieves have taken everything of value from him. The Samaritan, owing the man nothing but feeling great compassion for him, acts with extravagant generosity. This is the result of genuine love. Who loves like that providing rescue, healing, and sustenance for those in desperate need, on the threshold of death, even for foreigners or enemies? Surely it is obvious to all gathered that the Samaritan s actions reflect the love that God shows to stubborn, rebellious humanity! C. Application (vv. 36, 37) 36. Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? Jesus has told his story in response to the question, Who is my neighbor? That question is an attempt to make the command so narrow that the one asking it can hope to keep it well enough to be counted righteous by God. That question is a poor one to ask, though, when one realizes that loving God and loving one s neighbor are the greatest commandments (Matthew 22:34-40). A better question is, What must I do to love my neighbor and to love God? Jesus story has answered the better question, the one that the expert in the law has not asked. The Samaritan shows how to love one s neighbor. Doing so reflects the love of God, who reaches out generously and graciously to meet our 11 11
Page 12 of 15 desperate need, a need that we could not meet on our own. To direct the law expert to the real question, Jesus asks the question we see here. The answer is obvious, but it alters our usual definition of neighbor. The neighbors of the victim were not (but should have been) the priest and Levite. Instead, a contemptible Samaritan was the neighbor. He made the (probably Jewish) victim his neighbor, ignoring social boundaries in the process. He recognized his shared humanity with the victim. 37a. The expert in the law replied, The one who had mercy on him. The law expert seems reluctant to admit that the Samaritan is the story s hero, given that the response is the indirect the one who had mercy on him rather than the direct the Samaritan was. Even so, the man still speaks truly of what the Samaritan has done. Mercy in Luke s Gospel is what God shows as he brings salvation in Jesus (Luke 1:50, 54, 72, 78). The Samaritan in the story shows by his actions that he knows God better than those devoted to service in God s temple! THE SPIRIT OF THE SAMARITAN The designation good Samaritan has become part of modern culture. An Internet search for that phrase will yield hits for Good Samaritan laws, which offer legal protection to those rendering aid to others who are injured. The search will also find a Good Samaritan Hospital in cities across the country. There is even a Good Sam Club for owners of recreational vehicles! The compassion of the Samaritan in Jesus parable strikes a chord even in modern culture. We shouldn t mind this cultural appropriation as long as the sense is not violated. The Samaritan s goodness need not be uniquely Christian, but it should be typically Christian. Think of what you and the members of your church could do that would cause the watching community to label you good Samaritans. Does such a mind-set drive your expressions of benevolence in Jesus name, or are such expressions merely occasional, such as with an annual food drive? Does your compassionate outreach result only from the excess of your blessings, or does it spring from your willingness to risk? C. R. B. 37b. Jesus told him, Go and do likewise. Jesus response is straightforward. Those who profess to love God are compelled to show active, generous love to those whom God loves. Such love is not based on who the person is or whether the person fits our own definition of neighbor. God s love knows no such boundaries (see Matthew 5:45). His love is based not on merit but on grace. The law expert sees no need to be the object of God s grace. The man wants to make himself righteous, to find a way to understand God s commands so that he can keep them well enough to deserve God s blessing. That is a program doomed for failure. Until the man realizes that his need for God s mercy is as deep as the needs of the victim bleeding on the Jericho road, he will not understand the nature of God s gracious love or how to respond to it. 12 12
Page 13 of 15 What Do You Think? Is categorizing those in need (elderly, develop-mentally disabled, etc.) useful in helping us to do as Jesus commanded? Why, or why not? Talking Points for Your Discussion Benefits of categorizing those in need Drawbacks to categorizing those in need Conclusion A. Challenges to Our Thinking Jesus story challenges some ways we commonly think about ourselves, others, and God. He challenges the ways we distance ourselves from people who are not like us. He challenges the ways we try to narrow our obligations. He challenges any thinking that pretends one can be good enough to deserve God s favor. When we read the story of the good Samaritan, it is proper to think that we must be like the Samaritan. But first we need to think of ourselves as the victim in the story. His helpless, neardeath condition is our condition when God finds us. Through the sacrifice of his Son, God in his grace and mercy rescues us from eternal death. We love him in response to his gracious love for us. Loving God compels us to love others in the same way, to reach out graciously and generously to those who have need of salvation just as we did. B. Prayer Gracious God, remind us of the depth of your love for us, and lead us to let your love flow from our hearts into the lives of others. We pray this in the name of Jesus, who died for us, amen. C. Thought to Remember Be a good Samaritan today. INVOLVEMENT LEARNING Enhance your lesson with NIV Bible Student (from your curriculum supplier) and the reproducible activity page (at www.standardlesson.com or in the back of the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary Deluxe Edition). Into the Lesson 13 13
Page 14 of 15 Distribute copies of the following true/false quiz as learners arrive. Have them work on the quizzes alone or in pairs. 1. The main purpose of Good Samaritan laws is to prevent lawsuits against people who give reasonable assistance to those who are injured, ill, or in peril. 2. Good Samaritan laws usually apply to the on-the-job conduct of professional emergency responders. 3. In most localities, a person who causes another s illness or injury (even unintentionally) is legally required to give aid to the victim. 4. A duty to rescue" is a circumstance in which a person can be penalized for failing to come to the rescue of another person in danger. 5. Most Good Samaritan or duty-to-rescue laws require a person to use whatever methods they can to rescue someone. (Answers: 1-T, 2-F, 3-T, 4-T, 5-F.) Have learners score their own quizzes. After a brief discussion, say, Today we ll meet the original good Samaritan. Alternative. Ask learners to share stories of times when someone came to their rescue. You can also request stories about when they had an opportunity to help and what motivated them to do so. (Be careful not to let this segment drag out with several long-winded stories!) Then say, Today s parable features both people who refused to help and someone who did. Let s take a closer look at what happened. Into the Word Option 1. Enlist four learners to perform with you (as the reporter ) the skit The Scoop on the Good Samaritan on the reproducible page, which you can download. You may wish to distribute copies of the script in advance for familiarization, or learners can simply read or adlib their parts. Option 2. Form groups of three to five for stop-and-start storytelling. Have each group select a spokesperson who will help retell the parable of the good Samaritan. Say, Read Luke 10:25-37 and make a list of the chain of events. After you do so, close your Bibles. Assign a number to each group, then read the first half of verse 25 aloud. When you finish doing so, call out a group number, which is the cue for the spokesperson of that group to pick up where you left off. After an appropriate length of time (depending on the number of groups you have), interrupt by calling out a new number. Continue in this manner until the parable is complete. Review what was left out, if anything. After completing either of the above activities, lead a discussion using the following questions: 1. What was the law expert s purpose in asking Jesus the question about eternal life? 2. What was the purpose for asking, Who is my neighbor? 3. Why should the original hearers have expected better behavior from the priest and Levite? 4. What excuses might they have used for failing to help? 5. What was so unusual about Jesus choosing a Samaritan as the hero of the story? 6. How does Jesus turn the law expert s question around at the end? 7. What truth was Jesus communicating? Into Life 14 14
Page 15 of 15 Form learners into small groups if they are not in groups already. Distribute handouts of the following scenario to be discussed within groups: Panhandler You are walking along when a man in shabby clothes approaches to ask for money to purchase a prescription for his bronchitis. Under what circumstances and in what way would you help? What would be a reason to say no? Discuss reasons and excuses we sometimes use to avoid helping a person who appears to be in need. Ask learners to identify someone who is in difficult circumstances. Brainstorm how your class might be a good neighbor to him or her. Ask for a volunteer to head up the project and make plans to put your best ideas into action. 15 15