Saving My Enemy - Echoes of the Good Samaritan

Saving My Enemy - Echoes of the Good Samaritan

Introduction

Matthew Vander Els, a community pastor at Founded in Truth Fellowship, a Bible-loving and Sabbath-celebrating community, welcomes everyone and explains that the week's message follows from the previous one, which discussed winning and losing according to Yeshua (Jesus). This teaching focuses on the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10, exploring its deeper historical context and its radical implications for how believers should live.

The Journey to Jerusalem and Rejection

The narrative in Luke 9 indicates a significant turning point where Yeshua sets his face toward Jerusalem, understanding his mission and the confrontation he will face. The first event on this journey is his rejection by a Samaritan village because he was heading to Jerusalem, a place with a different theological view on where the temple should be located. This rejection sets the stage for understanding the relationship between Judeans and Samaritans, which is crucial for interpreting the parable that follows.

The Question of Eternal Life and Neighbor

Moving into Luke chapter 10, a lawyer, described as an expert in the Torah (the Law), tests Yeshua by asking what must be done to gain eternal life. Luke's portrayal of lawyers is often negative, suggesting they try to trap Yeshua. The lawyer's question implies a belief that eternal life can be obtained through a single act. Yeshua cleverly responds by asking the lawyer how he reads the Law.

The lawyer answers by quoting two key verses from the Torah: Deuteronomy 6:5, which commands loving God with all one's being, and Leviticus 19:18, which commands loving one's neighbor as oneself. Yeshua affirms that the lawyer's answer is correct, stating, "**Do this, and you will live**." However, it seems the lawyer's understanding of "life" might be limited to eternal life, while Yeshua emphasizes living out this love in the present.

Seeking to justify himself, the lawyer then asks, "**And who is my neighbor?**" This question reveals a desire to define the boundaries of who deserves love, potentially limiting it to one's own people. While Leviticus 19:18 speaks of loving one's neighbor as oneself, the concept of "neighbor" in the Torah can be debated, with some interpreting it to refer primarily to fellow Israelites. However, other passages, like those mentioning foreigners residing in the land, suggest a broader understanding. Notably, the Torah does not explicitly command loving one's enemies. Yeshua, in the Sermon on the Mount, expands on this ethic, calling for love towards both friends and enemies.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

In response to the lawyer's question, Yeshua tells the parable of a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho who is attacked, robbed, beaten, and left half dead. A priest and then a Levite come down the same road, see the man, but pass by on the other side. Finally, a Samaritan comes to the man, has compassion, bandages his wounds with oil and wine, puts him on his own donkey, takes him to an inn, and cares for him. The next day, the Samaritan pays the innkeeper to continue looking after the injured man.

The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was a dangerous, descending path of about 18 miles. The fact that both a priest and a Levite, individuals associated with religious service, chose not to help raises questions about their motivations. Various explanations have been offered, but Martin Luther King Jr. suggested that their primary concern was their own safety and well-being. They asked, "**If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?**" In contrast, the Samaritan reversed the question: "**If I do not help this man, what will happen to him?**"

The first-century audience would have found it shocking that the helper in the story was a Samaritan. Historically, Samaritans and Judeans were bitter enemies. Their animosity stemmed from the split of the Israelite kingdom, differing views on the location of the temple (Jerusalem for Judeans, Mount Gerizim for Samaritans), and events like the Samaritan refusal to aid Judeans during Greek oppression and the desecration of the Jerusalem temple by Samaritans. Judeans viewed Samaritans as a mixed, impure people with a distorted understanding of the Torah, while Samaritans saw themselves as the true Israelites and guardians of the original Torah, accusing Judeans of deviating from tradition. This deep-seated hatred meant that for a Judean audience, a "Good Samaritan" would have been an oxymoron.

Compassion Versus Mercy

After telling the parable, Yeshua asks the lawyer, "**Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?**" The lawyer responds, "**The one who had mercy on him**." Notably, the lawyer avoids saying "the Samaritan." Yeshua then instructs him, "**Go and do likewise**."

It's pointed out that while the lawyer uses the word "mercy," the parable itself states that the Samaritan had "**compassion**." In Luke's Gospel, the Greek word for mercy is frequently associated with God's actions. By attributing mercy to the Samaritan's actions, the lawyer unknowingly acknowledges that the Samaritan embodied a divine attribute. True mercy, especially in Luke's narrative, is not just a feeling but an action. It is through actively being God's hands and feet that His mercy is felt in the world.

Application for Everyday Life

The parable of the Good Samaritan has profound implications for how believers should live their lives. It challenges the boundaries of who we consider our neighbor and calls us to extend love and compassion even to those we might consider our enemies.

• Embrace a Universal Definition of Neighbor: The parable compels us to see everyone in need as our neighbor, regardless of their background, ethnicity, or beliefs.
• Act with Compassion: Like the Samaritan, we are called to move beyond mere sympathy and take concrete actions to help those who are suffering.
• Challenge Prejudices: The unexpected kindness of the Samaritan forces us to confront our biases and recognize the potential for good in everyone, even those we dislike or fear.
• Break Cycles of Violence: Just as the Samaritans in 2 Chronicles showed mercy to their enemies, we are called to interrupt cycles of hatred, unforgiveness, and violence with acts of kindness and compassion.
• Be God's Hands and Feet: Our actions of love and mercy are tangible ways in which God's love is made known in the world.
• Focus on the Present: Instead of being solely concerned with eternal life, we should focus on living out God's ethics of love and justice in our daily lives.
• Replicate Good Behavior: The core message is to emulate the actions of the one who showed mercy, extending that same behavior to others, even our enemies.

Conclusion

The parable of the Good Samaritan, when understood in its historical context, delivers a radical message. It calls believers to move beyond self-interest and societal prejudices to actively love and show mercy to everyone, even those considered enemies. As Amy Levine suggests, updating the figures in the parable to contemporary conflicts highlights the enduring challenge to acknowledge the humanity and potential for good in those we oppose. Ultimately, the teaching encourages listeners to embody the love and mercy of God, becoming agents of transformation and breaking the cycles of hatred and violence in the world.

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