The Jericho Road, Another Perspective on the Parable of The Good Samaritan
The Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most popular and insightful teachings of Jesus Christ. This parable, was an answer to a question that came to Him from an expert in the law. These Jewish priests and rabbi along with the scribes and Pharisees were always looking for a way to charge Jesus with breaking the Mosaic law
Scripture Luke 10: 25-37
Luk 10:25, On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" 27 He answered, "'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, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" 28 "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor”? 30 In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' 36 "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 37 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
The story Jesus relates takes place on the road from Jerusalem down to Jericho, about 20 miles of road through mountainous terrain, which travelers of Jesus day either walked or rode their animals when they traveled. The road from Jericho to Jerusalem The Jericho road as it was known, was the scene of many biblical events. From David's escape from the clutches of his son Absalom, and various trips that Jesus made including one when he healed the blind man Bartimaeus. In Jesus day it was a very dangerous place and there was hilly mountainous terrain which made for a difficult journey. And there were thieves and robbers along the road where they had their hideouts in the wilderness which the road passed through, This story told by Jesus includes the dangerous Jericho road as the location for this event.
Here we read these words and are left to our own imagination as to the events that took place to have left this poor soul in such a near death condition, and just from the events Jesus tells, it is clear that without the help of someone, this man would surely die. Who is the man?.. we do not know...that is open to our imagination.
Meditation
In the parable,...why does this lawyer ask Jesus his second question, "Who is my neighbor?"…. And it is noteworthy that Jesus never answers that question. In the story, the poor victim is beaten and stripped of his raiment,...
There is nothing about him that can be used to identify him…. This man could be imagined as anyone by his listeners, and Jesus is sensitive to that, Jesus knows his listeners can imagine the man as anyone,...and from whence cometh his help.
Jesus lays out the story and leaves us with the notion of our potential neighbors,...they in God’s own words are to be loved even as we love ourselves
A Pharisee,….a Samaritan,….a Jew,... a gentile, or a pagan… regardless of whether they are followers of Jesus or not….It is not ours to question their beliefs,..are they our neighbors?...
Does Jesus ever say that the injured traveler is the Samaritan's neighbor? No. but he asks which man "proved to be a neighbor."... So the question is not "Who is my neighbor?"... The question is,... "Am I a neighbor?"
Now the question posed by this lawyer….seems to have been made to convince Jesus that “to love God….is without limits but,... to warrant my love,…..anyone besides God has to meet certain standards before they can be called neighbor
Of the three men that day,….who had the encounter with the man,… which one... had compassion for him?”... To whom are we to be a neighbor?... Jesus wants to teach us not so much who is our neighbor….
as to make us understand who it is lying there dying….. by the side of The Jericho road,….. the one who it is that needs a Good Samaritan.
Are we to choose the neighbor we must love,…. with the possibility to refuse the ones that in our eyes,...are not worthy?... Jesus revolves that question…..
We need only look at whomever is in front of us…. One never can be certain,…. lest there may be a time when,… without warning,...I am the one stripped of my identity and left for dead.
The Jericho Road was a dangerous place,…. we know that because as did the priest,... and the Levite,... one fear they both had,…. was that if they stopped to help,... that would not be the end of it,...
nor would they be safe while helping this poor man.... It would be a very inconvenient thing,... getting involved in this mans trouble, Besides,…. He may already be dead.
Is the world we live in now comparable to that dangerous Jericho road?…. And as we travel that road... We as born sinners could easily be the unfortunate victim,... felled in this dangerous world by our sins,…. and left there to die in our sins,... stripped of our righteousness,
We are felled there,... in our sins,... without hope lest there be Jesus... The Son of God,... the one who sees us there half dead,... yet he sees something in us worth saving,... Jesus it is then,...who takes up our redemption,
He pours the oil of healing on our wounds and cleanses us with his blood,... saves our condemned soul by taking our sins upon himself,... as he was destined to do,... and at the place of His crucifixion,...
He gives his life as our security,... and covers the cost of our sin,... and leaves us in good hands,... in the salvation which he provides,... through those with whom he places us,... with instructions to care for us,... at the Inn of our redemption, God’s Church, cared for by His followers….
Then it is also Jesus who will return to cover the cost on the day of reckoning…. He has assigned us a place among the righteous….apart from that Jericho road,…. It is Jesus then who saves us,… Jesus is our “Good Samaritan”…We are to be Good Samaritans who Go and do likewise AMEN
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