I'm currently taking a New Testament class at BYU this semester and I want to share some of the things I've learned in that class with more people.
Today we were learning more about the parables that Jesus Christ used in His teaching. Specifically the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10 and a few parables preceding and including the parable of the Prodigal Son.
The Good Samaritan.
We start in verse 25 of chapter 10 to provide a background for the purpose of this parable.
"And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
In response the Lord directs this man to the Law, or as we would think, the scriptures. The lawyer gives the satisfactory answer of "Love thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself."
Not completely done with the Savior this same lawyer asked, "And who is my neighbour?"
It is to this question that our Savior directs the parable of the Good Samaritan.
As was explained in my class, the city of Jerusalem was situated on a hilltop, or mountain top. Anywhere from there would be a downhill walk. So we begin with a man who walked down from Jerusalem to Jericho. We can see the symbolic comparison to our own individual lives in that all of us came down from our Heavenly Father's presence to earth.
Continuing, this man fell among thieves which stripped him and beat him half to death. Our teacher enjoys commenting on the Greek words used by the authors of the New Testament as they often yield deeper meanings. In this particular story the word stripped is translated from "Ekduo". The antonym of this word in Greek is "Enduo" and has the meaning to clothe. This word has use in sacred ideas and items as well, often used in the scriptures with respect to the death and resurrection of the body.
As we left the presence of God we, like Adam and Eve, fell from glory and so are left naked figuratively, as they were physically(and spiritually) when they left the Garden of Eden.
We are then told that two different men, both Jews, came upon this man "...by chance..." (verse 31-32). These words mean that they weren't expecting nor seeking out this fellow Jew. Within the culture of the religious leaders in Jesus' time it was widely understood that blood was unclean, and so were dead people. This man was dying and likely covered in blood. For these religious men it was instilled in them a fear to touch this man and be deemed unclean and unable to perform their priestly duties until proper cleansing had been accomplished. Fear because of cultural ideas. And so they passed by, ignoring the plight of this fellow Jew.
Then comes the Samaritan, a half Jew. Considered to be enemies to all of Jewry one might ask why this Samaritan was anywhere near Jerusalem or Jericho, yet here he was.
A distinction is made with the absence of an inclusion on this "...by chance..." category that the other two men were grouped in. With purpose this man "...journeyed, [and] came where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion on him" (verse 33).
In using the Samaritan as a model for Himself Jesus Christ may have been referring to more than the widespread application of this commandment to love thy neighbor. By his birth Jesus is half of Mary, a Jew, and half of God. With that in mind we see the Samaritan binding up the wounds and caring for this man who had been left half dead and stripped of all that he is.
Be as the Good Samaritan and seek out those who have fallen among thieves, bind up their wounds and assure their recovery.
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