In Luke 10:25–37, there is a well-known parable that presents a powerful, convicting story. It presents us with a soul-searching question: have you ever found yourself disliking someone else? Perhaps it’s not just an individual, but a certain type of person. Have you used the word “hate” when thinking or talking about a person or even an entire group of people? While most people deny feelings of hatred, as Christians, we must be honest with ourselves. We can trust God to change us, so it’s important to admit to ourselves if we feel hatred toward our neighbor.
The Reality of Hatred in Our World
It’s not acceptable to hate any particular ethnicity. Even so, some people struggle with this. The source of that anger or hatred may be from a war experience or how someone was raised. Regardless of its origin, it’s essential to identify why the hatred exists. If you spend any time on the internet or in society, you know hatred is endemic. However, it’s not okay to hate, and the Parable of the Good Samaritan exposes that ugliness. But if you are willing to let Him, God will give you freedom and deliverance from hatred so that the Gospel is not hindered by it.
Jesus Teaches the Parable of the Good Samaritan
In Luke 10:25–37, the Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches that the radical command to love your neighbor applies to everyone, even those you may consider an enemy. Jesus was interrupted as he taught this passage, and despite his many interruptions, he leveraged them for the good of others and his own glory. A lawyer interrupted Jesus and asked how to inherit eternal life, attempting to trip Jesus up. Jesus responded by asking what the law says, and the lawyer answered with the commandment to love the Lord your God and your neighbor as yourself. Jesus confirms that the lawyer has answered correctly and tells him to do this in order to live. This seemingly small phrase is actually very powerful.
It is not enough to simply know the truth. You can attend church every Sunday, obtain a Ph.D., or even become an expert in God’s Word, but if you fail to apply it and let it transform you, it can do nothing and even harm you by fostering pride. As James says, we must do what the Word of God says and live according to the conviction of the Spirit and His Word.
How to Love Your Neighbor
In verse 29, the lawyer asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus recognized that this question was a matter of debate among different sects of Judaism—and still debated in our hearts even today. Some people think their neighbors are only those who look like them, act like them, or share their worldview. However, Jesus destroys this notion by telling the story of the Good Samaritan.
Who were the Samaritans?
It is worth noting that the term “Good Samaritan” was an oxymoron at the time, as a Jew would never use the words “good” and “Samaritan” together in a sentence. The Samaritans were despised by the Jews, and vice versa. Jesus begins telling a story in verse 30 about a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. This journey was very dangerous, as evidenced by the fact that the man in the story was robbed, beaten, stripped naked, and left for dead.
Jesus was not creating a fictional scenario here; this was something that could have realistically happened on the 17-mile journey from Jerusalem to Jericho. This route was known as the “Path of Blood” due to the high level of commerce and travel on it. A robber could easily hide behind a rock or cliff and attack unwary travelers, taking their money and leaving them for dead.
Who Were the Priest and the Levite?
After the violence occurred in the story, a priest happened to come by and see the man lying there, stripped naked and left for dead. What did the priest do? He simply passed by. Then, Jesus goes on to say that a Levite came by, also a worker of God in the temple, and he does the same thing. What’s interesting here is that Jesus names the Levite and the priest by their job titles or positions, indicating their importance in the Jewish community.
In this next section, let’s take a closer look at the characters in Jesus’ story. The Samaritan who helped the victim remains unnamed, while the victim himself is likely a Jew, but his identity is not the most important detail. What matters is that no one should be prevented from receiving help and love from their neighbors, regardless of their background. Unfortunately, the priest and the Levite in the story did not live up to this expectation.
Despite being workers of God, they ignored the victim lying on the side of the road, which is surprising and frustrating. Some scholars suggest the priest and Levites were concerned about losing their ritual cleanliness, which would prevent them from working in the temple and providing for their families. If they touched a dead body, they would be unclean for a week, and any food they carried would also become unclean.
While this may explain their hesitation to help, it doesn’t excuse their lack of compassion. The victim was left for dead, but he wasn’t dead yet. Jesus makes it clear that the priest and the Levite didn’t even bother to check if he was alive before ignoring him. Their lack of mercy and compassion are terrible examples for us to follow.
The Good Samaritan: An Unlikely Hero
In the story, Jesus takes a turn by introducing a Samaritan as the hero, much to the surprise of the Jewish audience. The Samaritan sees his neighbor lying there dying and has compassion for him. He uses oil and wine—at a great cost to him—to help the wounded man. He picks him up and takes him to an inn, where he cares for him and pays for his expenses.
The context is critical since there was a long history of racial tension between Jews and Samaritans, especially since the Jews held a prejudice against the Samaritans. It was never accepted for a Samaritan to be a hero, and the audience would have been dumbfounded. The story sheds light on the issue of racism, which is not limited to the present day but has been around since ancient times.
How This Story Speaks to the Issue of Racism
In history books and movies, the evidence of racism breaks my heart. However, as a society, we are aware that it still exists. Racism is not just a problem in some far-off land, but it’s also present in our own diverse and supposedly accepting nation.
Though we sing patriotic songs about being the land of the free, there was a time in our nation’s history when not everyone was free. Therefore, we should acknowledge that we have struggled with the same issues that the Jews and Samaritans faced in this parable.
Jesus recognized and condemned the racism He witnessed during His time, and He teaches us to do the same. He masterfully lands between the Jews and the Samaritans, who were at odds with one another.
In verse 36, He turns the story back to the lawyer and asks him which of the men proved to be a neighbor to the robbery victim. The lawyer couldn’t even bring himself to say “Samaritan,” but acknowledged “the one who showed mercy.” Jesus then commands us to “go and do the same.” It’s a simple message that remains relevant today, to love our neighbors as ourselves.
How Can We Be Like the Good Samaritan?
The message in this passage is to love your neighbor, even when they appear to be your enemy. It’s important to recognize that everyone is our neighbor, and there is no one in our lives who should be taken off the list of neighbors.
Jesus teaches us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. It is easy to love those who love you, but it takes a lot of courage to love those who hate you. We should let go of any hatred or prejudice toward others for the sake of the gospel.
If you recognize any prejudice or hatred in your heart, you should renounce it and repent of it. Instead, base how you treat others on their individual character and the law of love mentioned in this passage of Scripture.
The golden rule is to love your neighbor and treat them the way you want to be treated. The Samaritan in the parable would have wanted someone to stop and render aid if he was lying dead on the side of the road, and that is exactly what he did for someone else.
We Love Because Christ First Loved Us
We are simply following the example that Jesus already gave us on the cross. Jesus loves all of us regardless of our socioeconomic status, skin color, or country of origin. He died for all of us, not just the good people, but even for those who were not like Him, motivated by His own love. He bore our sins on the cross, in our place. And He rose from the dead so that anyone who repents and believes can be His child, no matter where they come from or what they look like. As we spend time with the Savior, we start acting like Him and loving others in the same way.
While there should be boundaries between us and those who do evil, we should not let our pride, prejudice, or racist heritage prevent us from loving others in need for the sake of the gospel. If all Christ’s followers loved others the way they wanted to be loved, the world would be a better place. Hate doesn’t breed love; hate breeds hate. If we want to see a change in our nation, we need to be the change ourselves, following Christ’s example by treating others the way we want to be treated, seeing everybody as our neighbor, and making sacrifices for those who don’t look or think like us.
Next Steps
- Share the Gospel
We are all sinners, and we all need a Savior. You can love your neighbor as yourself by sharing the gospel with them and telling them that they, too, have the disease of sin. Jesus died in their place and rose from the dead so they could be forgiven and have eternal life. If you’re looking for a way to love your neighbor, sharing the gospel is a great place to start. It can also be as simple as making a phone call, having a conversation, or giving a gift to someone who is hurting. Follow the example of Christ, who is the ultimate fulfillment of this passage, by being a good Samaritan and reflecting His nature.
- Help Those In Need
Jesus was the perfect example of the Good Samaritan, and we should model His love to others. If you pass by someone who is dying on the side of the road, stopping and rendering aid is a one-for-one application. Maybe you think that’s unlikely to happen. But how many times have we ignored someone’s plight because it doesn’t fit into our schedule, or we’re not ready to make a financial sacrifice, or just don’t have the energy? Don’t be like the Levite and the priest who were too busy or afraid to help. Instead, be a good Samaritan and stop to love those who are dead on the inside because they’ve been left hopeless and helpless by the enemy. Take the time to care for them and be the hands and feet of Jesus in their lives.
- Love Your Enemies
Being a good Samaritan can start with our own family members at home, but the true essence of the application is to go beyond that and extend help to those we may not like or who may not like us. By doing so, we see God at work through us. C.S. Lewis said, “Do not waste time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.” Let’s put this message into practice and reflect on how it applies to us this week.
