“The Parable of the Good Samaritan”

Luke 10:25-37

Big Picture: The passage’s themes are ethical and practical. One should be a neighbor by showing compassion to anyone in need. Being a neighbor does not make distinctions in offering care. Compassion may involve time and sacrifice. The issue is not to define who the neighbor is, or to seek to do the minimum one can do. This is a simply a call to be a neighbor.

Point # 1: Questions about inheriting eternal life (10:25–28)

a. The lawyer’s question (10:25)

b. Jesus’ question (10:26)

c. The lawyer’s reply: the great commandment—love God and neighbor (10:27)

d. Jesus’ commendation (10:28)

Point # 2: Call to be a neighbor: the exemplary Samaritan (10:29–37)

a. The lawyer’s question about neighbors: who IS my neighbor (10:29)?

b. The parable of the priest, Levite, and compassionate Samaritan (10:30–35)

c. Jesus’ question about the neighbor: to whom must I BE a neighbor (10:36)?

d. The lawyer’s recognition of the Samaritan (10:37a)

e. Jesus’ command to do like the Samaritan (10:37b)*

* A modification of Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke: 9:51–24:53 (Vol. 2, p. 1021). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.