4 Lessons from the Parable of the Good Samaritan
Explore four critical lessons from the Parable of the Good Samaritan, including recognizing the sacred worth of all people, the danger of mechanical religion, the need to bless our enemies, and the impossibility of self-justification before God. Discover how this powerful story highlights the depth of God's love and grace.
Setting Up the Parable
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
The Parable of the Good Samaritan opens with an essential question, and I would submit that it’s the ultimate question. Every person should ask this question, particularly in light of our inevitable death.
I acknowledge that sounds a bit morbid, but in the context of this Jewish man, a Pharisee, and a lawyer, he’s thinking about the age to come. In Jewish culture, this would’ve been discussed frequently because it’s an issue raised in the Torah (and the Old Testament).
However, as the story unfolds, we realize there’s a big problem. The man asking Jesus is not asking a sincere question, and we learn in verse 25 that he’s actually casting a test for Jesus. Additionally, we see he’s trying to justify himself (verse 29). That’s not something we want to do before we go to a Holy God.
Let’s notice what Jesus didn’t do. He didn’t say:
What does your synagogue say?
What does your rabbi say?
What does your pastor say?
What does your church say?
What does your denomination say?
Instead, Jesus asks him, “What does the Word of God say?”
JESUS: “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” Luke 10:26
The man gives a good answer; He responds with the Great Commandment. Even Jesus acknowledges that’s a good answer.
“Love the Lord your God with all heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
But the man couldn’t stop himself. He has to continue to justify himself, so he asks, “Who is my neighbor?” That’s when Jesus shares the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
While the lawyer’s original answer, the Great Commandment, is right, we also see that a true heart for the Lord will birth a true heart for your neighbor. An unresponsive heart to God will be unresponsive to a neighbor in need. We must guard our hearts against indifference to the needs of those around us. That purpose flows out of the mission of every follower of Jesus.
There are many lessons of truth in this parable. God’s grace and kindness can lead us to repentance, and there are places where God wants to check our hearts. So, let’s examine The Parable of the Good Samaritan for these lessons.
4 Lessons from The Parable of the Good Samaritan
1) Sacred Worth
The first lesson we can extract from this story is Jesus exposing a cultural touchpoint rooted in racism. The Jewish community hated the Samaritans, yet that’s the story's hero.
Their story began when Solomon was king and his son, Rehoboam, succeeded him. During his reign, God’s Kingdom in Israel became divided again. The Assyrians oppressed them, and many Jews began to intermarry, which, over hundreds of years, led to many people who were half Jewish and half Gentile. Because of that, people developed a prejudice against the Samaritans.
Yet, in the parable, the Samaritan is the one who tends to the man’s wounds. Jesus illustrated that our neighbor is anyone in need. He’s dignifying the sacred worth of Samaritans and people of different races than ourselves.
While the cultural significance was pinpointed, it’s a lesson we can still apply to our modern perspectives and standings.
Some people may fear being labeled as woke for approaching race relations, but I want to remind you that treating all people with dignity, regardless of skin color, is rooted in Gospel centrality. All people are created of sacred worth and deserve to be treated accordingly. The blood of Christ was shed for all people, which tells us that His blood declares the worth of all people.
JESUS: “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.’” Luke 10:34-35
I don’t know if you noticed this, but beginning in verse 33, there’s verb after verb. There are eleven verbs, at least in English, describing what the Samaritan does for this man.
As he journeyed, the Samaritan came to where he was—there was a physical presence.
When he saw him, he had compassion—there’s empathy, sympathy, emotional connection.
He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine—there’s medical care.
Then he set him on his animal and brought him to an inn—there’s transportation and providing shelter—and took care of him.
The next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, “Take care of him; I’ll pay the bill.” There’s financial aid.
Jesus utilizes a Samaritan to share not only the dignity and value of all people but also that the hero in the story was not indifferent to the brokenness around him.
2) Mechanical Religion
The second lesson of truth in the parable is the danger of religion becoming mechanical.
The lawyer in this text differs from the profession we would recognize today. He was a Pharisee whose expertise was in Old Testament law. He studied Old Testament Scripture, its applications, and enforcement. Despite living in the Roman culture at the time, Israel’s history is a theocracy.
This parable illustrates a professor of the Old Testament law, a Levite (in charge of worship), and a priest who displays a heartless religion. It’s become mechanical and operational. So, in the parable, two people who would’ve had a reputation for being strong in the Lord become cold and indifferent to the truth when there’s a man beaten on the side of the road.
Jesus illustrates that a person can be outwardly religious but inwardly cold and empty. This should be a warning to all of us. It’s possible to make church a process of going through the motions without giving our heart to Jesus. Instead of thinking about who we go to worship, we make it about where we go to worship. [READ MORE: What Does Worship Look Like?]
3) Blessing Our Enemies
Because Jesus understands that the Samaritan is an enemy of the Jews, He shows that the requirement, or the invitation, is to have such a vibrant and loving relationship with God that you have the heart of God for all people, which includes your enemies.
Every follower of Jesus has an enemy, and He even encourages us to beware when everyone loves you. It indicates that you may not be standing on the convictions as a follower of Jesus.
So, not only is He dignifying the Samaritan, the enemy of the Jewish population at the time, but He’s sharing that His followers should have the kind of heart that blesses our enemies.
The Gospel can offend, so teaching Scripture can be a stumbling block to some people because they digest it in a way where it becomes personal. That said, we don’t have an out. Christians are responsible for loving our enemies, which is why Jesus instructed us to bless our enemies.
When we bless our enemies, we get delivered from cynical thinking that tends to demonize them and make them out to be worse than they are. Our self-talk can energize and exacerbate our demonization. So when we stop to bless them, we focus on Christ and allow Him to work in us.
How can you bless your enemies?
Pray for them.
Love and forgive them.
Look for ways to demonstrate love in their life.
See our enemies for their sacred worth.
4) The Impossibility of Self-Justification
Jesus exposes the impossibility of our own self-justification. In this passage, He’s talking with an expert in Old Testament law, and the man is trying to justify himself before God in his own thinking. Jesus shares this parable to get through to him.
But this is important for us to consider: Haven’t we all passed by someone in need at one point in our life? All of us are aware of needs in our community and world in which we’ve been unresponsive.
You can’t justify yourself. You can’t do that because none of us have done this perfectly. That’s what Jesus is driving at with this parable. When the question was asked: "What must I do to inherit eternal life," Jesus showed that none of us have it fulfilled.
This parable points to a deeper reality. The Samaritan was despised and rejected by man. Scripture reminds us that we were dead in our trespasses and sins, separated from God, yet Jesus, like the Samaritan, pursued us. Jesus, the Son of God, has gone to the cross for your sin out of love and pursuit of you.
If you’re searching for eternal life, inheritance, and justification, this parable is a warning for what not to do. To be lifted from the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light isn’t about what we do or can do. Instead, it's about what He’s done in us so that we can come to a place of surrender to the King of Kings. He births a new heart that is awakened to love; this is God’s gift.
So, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Don’t justify yourself; trust the cross because He justifies you.
TL;DR
The Parable of the Good Samaritan highlights the importance of:
Recognizing the sacred worth of all people.
The danger of religion becoming mechanical.
The call to bless our enemies.
The impossibility of self-justification before God.
The parable serves as a reminder to trust in the work of Jesus on the cross for salvation and to have a heart awakened to love and compassion for others, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Related Reading
What is a Parable by Grant Caldwell
What is the Fear of the Lord? by Rev. Paul Lawler
How Does God’s Word Transform Us? by Rev. Paul Lawler