If you can hear; listen! If you can see: look!

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The past several weeks the infamous story of the ‘Good Samaritan’ has been rolling through my mind. And there is no time when a lesson like this is more needed. It is the second most famous story Jesus ever told (only exceeded in familiarity and fame by the story of the Prodigal Son). It is common knowledge, it’s tenants lauded, even hospitals named after it, and many assume they are familiar with its meaning.

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I can’t stop thinking about it, it rolls back and forth through my mind. I am unable to simply store its message in my heart and move on. And the only explanation that I have for this is that God must want someone to hear it. Is this you?

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You will see shortly why Jesus refers to understanding the meaning of this parable (or a proper interpretation of the 10 Commandments) as “the key of knowledge”

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(Thanks are to Bob Hopper and John MacArthur for being used by God to help enlighten my mind to the true meanings of the story, if anything is taken from either please remember that plagiarism is the highest form of compliment)

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There are two meanings to the story, the obvious and the implied. It’s like a gem in a setting of precious metal. Not unlike a ring with a precious jewel.

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Both the revealed meaning and the implied meaning can stand on their own, but together they radiate the Divine.

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So here is the parable of the “Good Samaritan” and its ultimate meaning (Luke 10:25-37):

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“And behold, a lawyer stood up to put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he 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.” 

 

"And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

 

"Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

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The story stands on its own and clearly needs no help from me or anyone else. But it might be helpful to anyone reading for me to explain the setting in which Jesus tells this story. The setting must be clarified in order for us to grasp the intended meaning.

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A lawyer is an expert in Mosaic Law- usually religious conservatives in 1st century Palestine. This person would have been an expert in the practical interpretation of the law and most likely what’s referred to as a Pharisee, analogous to a religious conservative. These people taught the common people the practical applications of the laws of God. This is important for understanding the precious metal in which the gemstone of the story is set. Or; the ultimate meaning of the story and why it’s important. We will revisit this shortly.

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Secondly the characters in the actual story must be identified.

 

As history tells, first century Palestine (or Israel) was a fairly diverse land made up of many different groups of people that had conflicting interests.

 

The characters in this story are from groups that include the Priests, Levites, and Samaritans.

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The priest would have been roughly the equivalent of a modern day spiritual leader. He would have ‘served’ the people on behalf of God. Teaching them the Law, acting as an intercessor, and responsible partly for their spiritual progress. He was from a specific Hebrew lineage – of Aaron. He was well-respected in the community, and well-versed in the law, including in the second great commandment. Surely he was predestined to walk this way at this very time, and he would help this poor wounded man. As soon as he saw the man he would be reminded of the wonderful Scripture passage in Deuteronomy 10:17-20:

“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the Lord your God.”

 

certainly this Priest would help the man?

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“when he saw him he passed by on the other side.”

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Maybe he thought: 'That’s God’s justice. He shouldn’t have been such a sinner. He is probably a gentile, and didn’t pay attention to the Proverbs where it says we should avoid the company of robbers. In fact, I bet he is a robber and was caught stealing from other robbers. He definitely deserves it otherwise it wouldn’t have happened.”

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Now after this comes the Levite, a special servant of the house of God not unlike a Deacon in the church. A Levite was like an official who dealt with the daily tasks of serving God in His Temple. Organizing the offerings, making sure the Temple was well maintained and fully stocked. The were also from a special lineage, the tribe of Levi. They also must have regularly been witness to the services. And surely familiar with Isaiah 1:17: “learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.”

 

Was this God's man? would he help the poor stranger?

“when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side”

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Maybe he thought: ‘Uh-oh, I better not get too close because it might be a trap. I also can’t stop I have important business to do at the temple serving God. There is nothing I can do. I bet he is dead anyway. After all I have a family myself’

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Now comes the Samaritan along this same road, this was the hated half-breed offspring of Israelites who had intermarried with gentiles after the return from exile in Babylon. Most despised among the religious authorities of the day since only those who were circumcised and purebred descendants of Abraham were qualified as 'righteous' according to the popular Rabbis of the time. The Samaritans were not on friendly terms with the Jewish people of the day, and the Jews were not friendly with them in return. In fact, they despised them and held deep animosity aginst them. This is a lot like Israili-Palestinian relations today. Those listening to the story may have thought this Samaritan half-breed might come and steal anything left over by the thieves right? May even end the man’s life for sport? Take whatever clothes were left? Laugh at his calamity? Kick him while he is down?

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Jesus says “he had compassion”. And not just a feeling of empathy for the unknown stranger, he acted on it. “He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’”

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Conspicuously missing is the people group identity of the injured man.

 

By this the very question of “who is my neighbor?” is answered, namely anyone in need.

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The moral point is that the person in need here is not on trial to qualify as neighbor, but rather the people who passed by. After all Jesus said: “Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” (v 36.)

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So, when we see or know of someone in need, do we think ‘is that person like me? (White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, gay, straight, Republican, Democrat, Muslim, Jewish, Catholic - i.e. do they qualify as MY neighbor). Does he/she qualify to receive my help?

 

No the answer is this, anyone made in the image of God qualifies for help by our hand. In fact, the essence of authentic Christianity is that the redeemed man/woman is so changed by the internal presence of God through Christ’s atoning work that they live out the will of God from the heart. And this includes the second great commandment: “you shall love your neighbor as yourself”.

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The lesson is clear: the neighbor is anyone in need, regardless of social status, gender, rank or religion. They are not on trial for being a neighbor, we are.

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If you just want to feel warm and cozy, stop reading here.

 

If you are hungry for the truth that can make you free forever; read on:

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The more important lesson is found in the setting of the interaction. In other words, why Jesus told the story to this particular man.

 

Why does Jesus tell this story?

 

Consider 3 things:

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First the motive of the question is insincere: “stood up to put him to the test” (v. 25)

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Secondly the question morphs into a spiritual check on the man’s spiritual condition via proper understanding of Scripture. Specifically, the 10 Commandments: [Jesus] said “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”

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Thirdly the man in self-righteous: “he, desiring to justify himself, said…”

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So what we can ascertain from the text is this: this venerated Lawyer [like we covered - an expert in Mosaic Law], was likely offended by Jesus’ teaching(esp. if he was present in v. 21) and tried to put Him on the spot by standing up to challenge Him. When Jesus flipped the question back to him to gauge his spiritual temperature the man confidently quoted the Shema, the most famous Scripture, found in Deuteronomy 6: “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’ response: “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” (think in the sense: you honestly think you can do that perfecty as God requires it? go ahead and try) (v. 28). The Lawyer retorts: “And who is my neighbor?” or: ‘I already practice commandment #1, I just need to know who qualifies as my neighbor and I WILL practice commandment #2’

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Enter the unsurpassed parable of the Good Samaritan. Why is understanding this setting important? It leads to the proper reading of the Law, or the 10 Commandments. Just a few verses later, in condemning these same Lawyers, Jesus calls a proper reading of the 10 commandments “the key of knowledge.” (Luke 11:52).

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Lost a little? Let me try and explain: The man is essentially saying he already loves God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, at least to the best of his ability, so he has commandment #1 checked off. Commandment #2 all he needs to know who he needs to love and he can and will do it as well. The others are no problem, he's got those down pat. 

 

Jesus tells this brilliant and beautiful story to show the man, and subsequently us, how lost we really are and how desperately we need a savior. So He uses a story of extreme and selfless love:

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Consider the actions of the Good Samaritan and you will understand:

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First the Samaritan felt compassion, he felt authentic empathy for the person who was wounded.

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Then the Samaritan went TO the man (not away like the religious figures), to see what he could do to help. He put his own journey, and life, on hold and went out of his way to help.

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Then the Samaritan put himself at risk by even helping the man. Who knows if this was a trick? If the thieves and murderers were still hanging about? By this account he seems alone aside the presence of his wounded companion. No firearms were available for protection

 

Then the Samaritan pours in oil and wine. These were certainly not cheap in this time. Often a traveler had wine because drinking water on a journey might be tainted or worse, unavailable at all. It was likely his only safe drinking water. Oil was used to soothe wounds and help by lighting the dark. Oil was often fairly expensive and since travelers frequenty traveled at night to avoid heat, it was always a precious commodity. Especially by a traveler.  

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Then the Samaritan sets him on his own animal. This needs no explanation. This was his own ride. Now the Samaritan must walk while the comatose stranger rides his animal. He could have drug him along on a cot or something. This is like giving someone your own car while you ride in the trunk.

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Then the Samaritan brings him somewhere safe, to an Inn. He may have had no intention of stopping that night at an Inn and staying, it likely delayed his journey even more. He finds somewhere safe for the stranger to stay.

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Then the Samaritan takes care of him. Probably the person is fading in and out of consciousness. And needs constant attention. He lost valuable rest, probably the whole night’s rest, to make sure this person was kept alive.

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By the next day the Samaritan pays for the equivalent of two months stay for the stranger. As a night’s stay at some places was roughly equivalent to 1/30 of a denarius.

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Then the Samaritan makes sure the stranger is cared for. He charges the Innkeeper to take care of him by opening himself up to extortion and fraud, promising the innkeeper reimbursement upon return. Who knows what the man would say when he returned? Five times the amount it actually would take?

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This is a monumental amount of effort, a great time cost, a great financial cost, and at the risk of his own life. To help a stranger that probably never knew his name, who probably couldn’t recognize him if he tried. In other words, there was no recognition to be achieved by this act.

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What’s Jesus driving at aside from the obvious meaning we discovered above? Two things:

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#1 You would do this only for YOU. This is the requirement for fulfilling the second great commandment

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#2 Destroying at the man’s self-righteousness by a realistic evaluation of what God’s Law requires.

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What do I mean? Just this: What is the requirement to fulfill this second great command? "Love your neighbor as yourself" Simple, you just love everyone you ever meet like you love yourself, totally selflessly, each and every single person perfectly. Yes, even strangers!

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Now let’s bring this home. Think you have done okay at loving your neighbor? Let’s use the best act you’ve ever done as an example. Yes, the very best. Did it match the one above? Was it humble, selfless, done for the glory of God alone, and out of genuine gratitude to God? Did you have any desire to be venerated by it? Even by yourself? What if you had just 1 bad thought while doing such a deed? Well then it doesn’t qualify for being perfect in God’s eyes. Its imperfect, unacceptable, not holy. And this is your best work ever! It just goes down from there in quality.

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Have you done something like this ever? well whats the requirement? once during a lifetime? 10 times? 10 times per day? no, each and every single person you ever meet. always, every day. every time. no exceptions. 

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Now what about your thoughts? do you genuinely love your neighbor as yourself in your heart? always. all the time. no exceptions. 

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Let me guess, thoughts don’t count? Jesus said to this same group of people in the following chapter: “You fools! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?” (Luke 11:40).

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Remember that God said to Abraham: “I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1)

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This is why Jesus said “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

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Want to know something scary? This is just the second commandment. Not even the most important one. What about the other 9??? Let me put it this way: only 1 sin per commandment per day is almost 300,000 sins during an 80-year lifespan. This does not include thoughts. If you have 10 sins per commandment per day, internal and external, omission and commission that is 292,000,000 sins in the same lifespan.

 

Jesus is illustrating for this man why he could never be righteous before a holy God by hiw own works. Only synthetic religion makes such a blasphemous claim. Impossible.  

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Now do these Scriptures make more sense?

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“The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,

    to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.”

“They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; 

    there is none who does good, not even one.” (Psalm 14:3)

 

And again,

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“We have all become like one who is unclean,

    and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.”

“We all fade like a leaf,

    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)

 

What is Jesus driving at?

IF NOT REGENERATED, YOU HAVE NEVER DONE A SINGLE ACT THAT WAS ACCOUNTED BY GOD AS RIGHTEOUS IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE

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Don’t believe that’s what the Scripture says about you? Consider this:

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“The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5).

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That was preflood, when man was exceptionally wicked. But wait, after the flood, God says: “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth" (Genesis 8:21)

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I have said it before and I will say it again because God showed this to me in my own life. You cannot build a tower to heaven on a bottomless pit with a pail of wet sand.

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In the same way you cannot get to heaven by performing deeds that don’t count while ignoring your past failures.

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This lawyer Jesus is speaking to has no need to hear the Gospel because he doesn’t see himself as a sinner. He is not a violator of the law he is a 'good person' in his own mind. He can do it himself in his own mind. And unless he realizes that he falls hopelessly short of the Divine demands through a proper reading of the Scripture he will never seek shelter in the Rock of Christ’s righteousness. This is why Jesus ends the conversation with “You go, and do likewise.” (v. 37)

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Trying to avoid divine wrath by being a ‘good person’ is like trying to hide from a horrific Tsunami by moving 20 feet inland on the beach and making fun of people further out. The Tsunami knows no partiality but all who do not heed the warning will be swept away together.

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Assuming you will reach heaven by merit is like trying to reach the top of a cumulus cloud by jumping. So the religious person gets a chair and thinks they arrived because they are higher than most others. Their delusion is evident to anyone with eyes to see.

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Believing you will reach heaven by mixing religion with works (like a form of Christ + works) is like connecting a chain over 1000-foot chasm burning with lava, but the chain is made partly from stainless steel and partly with pewter and clay. Its snaps leaving anyone who relies on it doomed to a horrific fate.

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Now do you see why a proper understanding of the Law is the “Key of Knowledge” according to Jesus?

 

It filters down and changes everything. 2 quick points to show what I mean by saying this:

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Are you familiar with another story Jesus told of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35? Where the servant was forgiven the equivalent of 10 times King Herod’s annual total Kingdom income (equivalent to millions of U.S. Dollars) and then goes and humiliates, chokes, and throws his fellow servant into prison for basically a day’s wage (0.16 cents)? That’s the equivalent to not forgiving someone when you claim to have been forgiven, you are just a perfectly wicked person in God’s eyes.

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Or when Jesus said “Judge not, that you be not judged” in Matthew 7:1. Do we think that because we are 38% to goal in our best area we can judge someone who is 21% to goal in that area? That’s like saying: ‘God, please suspend judgement on all my areas of failure so that you can exact retribution on this ‘sinner’ who is less holy than me in this one single area so I can see your justice for personal satisfaction’. It’s a form of madness! Or at least perfect spiritual blindness

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Let me use another illustration: Judgement Day comes.

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This is human accounting:

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Good works: 542.

Bad works: -476.

Therefore, net positive of 66 good works equals heaven.

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This is religious accounting:

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Good works: 21,807.

Bad works: -45,010.

Christ’s works make up for the bad ones +23,203.

Net balance: 0 = heaven

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This is divine accounting for a sinner.

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Good works: 0.

Evil deeds: -292,000,000.

Requirement to enter heaven 2,474,115,840 positive (1 for each second of a perfect life)

= Eternal Judgement

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Think I just pulled those numbers out of the air? That’s only 10 sins (in word, thought, or deed, including omission and commission) PER commandment PER day. In 80 years you will have 292,000,000 sins! God’s requirement of 2.5 billion positive with none missing is not out of thin air either. This is approximately how many seconds a person lives if they reach 80. This is what God requires, a perfect life. Nothing less is worthy of Him.

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Still feel like a ‘good person'?

 

don’t worry, you’re not, but there is good news.

 

There is one who is good.

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“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:10-11)

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This is why God destined a savior for mankind: 

 

"Out of the anguish of His soul He shall see and be satisfied;
by His knowledge shall the Righteous One, My Servant,
    make many to be accounted righteous,
    and He shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11)

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This burden of carrying the gnawing guilt for sin is why Jesus offers the following invitation to guilt-laden sinners: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28)

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One last point and we will be finished:

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Authentic good works an only come from a regenerated heart. This is why Jesus said in John 3: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (v. 5-8)

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The role of good works becomes clearly evident:

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“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

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So clearly, the Good Samaritan was a regenerated person. His act was done selflessly out of a love for God and love for man, who is made in the image of God

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To finish the example above and complete this point, Messianic accounting is this:

 

Good deeds (done in gratitude and for God’s glory): 5,000.

Sins: 160,000,000

[Substitutionary Payment (+Infinite)]

Requirement to enter heaven: 2,474,115,840

[Substitutionary Payment (+infinite)]

= 5,000 genuine acts of repentant, thankful, selfless actions are the impartial proof that the exchange took place.

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Now does it make more sense as to why Jesus referred to a proper understanding of the law as “the key of knowledge.”? (Luke 11:52)

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Jesus describes Judgment Day according to the ‘Key of Knowledge’ in Matthew 25:31-46:

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“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a Shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.”

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“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.’ "

 

"Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? And when did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? And when did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’

 

"And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.’"

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“Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ "

 

"Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ "

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"Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’"

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“And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into life eternal"