WATCH: https://tableschurch.subspla.sh/xg2mdd5
Luke 10
Parable of the Good Samaritan
30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho,
and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up,
and left him half dead beside the road.
31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there,
he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by.
32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there,
but he also passed by on the other side.
33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man,
he felt compassion for him.
34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine
and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn,
where he took care of him.
35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins,telling him, ‘Take care of this man.
If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said,
“Yes, now go and do the same.”
A Question With an Agenda
The parable begins not with a gentle teaching but with a confrontation.
A lawyer—an expert in Mosaic Law—stands up to test Jesus with a question:
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
But it’s revealing that the man frames the question in terms of personal achievement—
‘What must “I” do’ - as if eternal life is a reward for religious performance rather than a relationship grounded in grace.
This wasn’t a question born of curiosity - it was a question born of self-preservation.
He’s not looking to broaden his understanding - he’s looking to narrow his responsibility.
Knowledge of God’s Word without the heart of God’s love can lead to a cold, calculating form of religion.
The Road, The Need
Jesus sets His story on a very real and very dangerous road.
Jesus removes every label that might qualify or disqualify him as a neighbor:
“…They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.”
He has no way to identify himself - no clothes to suggest his background - no speech to betray his accent or origin - He is anonymous.
The Three
Jesus intorduces three people into this story:
The Priest
Is someone who would have known the law inside and out.
Someone who offered sacrifices on behalf of the people.
A visible, vocational representative of God.
But he passes by offering no help.
The Levite
A respected temple worker - a man involved in worship, sacred duties and public service.
He too sees and moves away.
Both of them see, but neither stops.
These men were religious. They were respected. They were likely admired for their piety and their public roles, but when confronted with suffering they chose avoidance over action.
Jesus is making the point that it’s possible to know the commands of God and still fail to reflect the compassion of God.
The Samaritan
After a priest and a Levite deliberately pass by the wounded man Jesus introduces a third traveler: A Samaritan
Samaritans were despised outsiders. They were ethnically mixed and theologically divergent, seen as religious compromisers who corrupted the Law and polluted true worship.
Jesus chooses the last person anyone would expect to be the hero and makes him the embodiment of compassion.
The priest and Levite had all the right theology— but it’s the Samaritan who reflects the heart of God.
The Samaritan doesn’t wait for a definition of “neighbor” to be clarified - He becomes one.
Being a neighbor in the Kingdom isn’t about shared proximity - it’s about shared humanity.
The Reversal
Jesus ends the parable not with a rule - but with a reversal.
The lawyer asked, “Who is my neighbor?” - hoping to define the limits of love.
But Jesus flips the script: “Which of these three proved to be a neighbor?”
In that one question, He moves the conversation from identifying who deserves love to asking what kind of person we’re becoming.
The real issue isn’t about who qualifies for compassion - it’s whether or not we’re willing to give it.
Jesus tells the lawyer : “You go, and do likewise.”
It’s not a suggestion—it’s a summons.
Jesus isn’t asking us to admire the Samaritan - He’s calling us to embody his mercy.
TABLE TIME:
As we engage in conversation, let Paul’s words to the Colossian church be our framework. Colossians 4:6, ‘Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.’
When have you experienced unexpected compassion or help from someone you didn’t expect—or when have you had the chance to offer it?
Jesus flips the lawyer’s question from “Who is my neighbor?” to “Who became a neighbor?”
Why is that shift significant?
How does that challenge the way we think about love and responsibility?
The priest and Levite saw the wounded man but chose to pass by. What are some reasons we might ‘pass by’ those in need today, and how can we overcome these obstacles?
In what ways does the parable challenge our tendency to draw boundaries around who deserves our love and compassion?
The Samaritan’s compassion was costly and inconvenient. How does this challenge our understanding of what it means to love our neighbor?
How does seeing Jesus as the ultimate ‘Good Samaritan’ to humanity change the way we approach showing mercy to others?
Jesus ends with the command, ‘You go, and do likewise.’ What is one practical step you can take this week to embody the kind of neighborly love demonstrated in this parable?
PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER: