Luke 10:25-37 | The Good Samaritan Parable

In Luke chapter 10 verses 25-37, Jesus answers the question posed by a lawyer, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” In which Jesus responds, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” And so the lawyer responds with the two great commandments from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, saying: “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” Jesus affirms his answer by saying he is correct, in which the lawyer responds with another question, asking, “And who is my neighbor?”

The lawyer answers Jesus correctly on how to inherit eternal life: to love the LORD your God fully, and to love your neighbor. But as the Bible identifies, the lawyer had ulterior motives: “But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” Why would the lawyer want to justify himself in this situation and ask this question? Jesus provides us with the reason why through His parable, and He addresses the deeper root of the question rather than the lawyers intended purposes. We see Christ’s answer as this:

“A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So