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While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.

Luke 10:38

It is easy to forget that it was Martha who we see initiating the relationship between Christ and her family. Regardless of whatever else we may have to say about her, that invitation of Christ into a person’s life is a crucial first step.

Heavenly Father, thank You for teaching us how to treat others. We tend to think we know what we should do. But we really don’t. You have to guide us. Thank You for putting other people in our lives to enrich us emotionally, socially, and spiritually. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

‘The one who showed mercy to him,’ he said.
Then Jesus told him, ‘Go and do the same.’

Luke 10:37

The lawyer of course got the answer to the question correct. The Samaritan was the neighbor of the man who was hurt. And, in his answer, the lawyer gives expression to the compassion presumably found in the heart of this Samaritan.

When Jesus says to the man, go and do the same, He isn’t telling the lawyer to love his neighbor. That lesson has been taught by the previous question and answer. What Jesus means is that the lawyer should live in a manner consistent with the commands of God.

The priest and the Levite claimed to follow the law and didn’t. The Samaritan was not an expert in the law, but he was actually trying to follow it.

Now, for those who would ask the obvious question, circle back to the beginning of the lawyer’s conversation with Jesus. The obvious question is, why did Jesus tell this man that loving his neighbor and trying to follow God’s law would win him eternal life? The lawyer quoted two laws. The one about the neighbor was second. The first was to love the Lord God with all you heart, soul, mind, and strength. This means we are to obey Him. And salvation is a matter of obedience.

If this lawyer truly loved the Lord he would accept Jesus as the Christ and have eternal life. If, on the other hand, he was like the priest or the Levite in the story, he would only pay God lipservice and fail to truly obey and repent.

Heavenly Father, thank You for communicating with us. You are merciful to us in that You have revealed Yourself to us. Thank You for allowing us to obey unto life. To be alive for You and with You forever is a true delight! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?

Luke 10:36

Read this very carefully. The Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most well-known passages in the Bible. But that doesn’t mean it is well understood or interpreted.

What did the lawyer ask Jesus? Who is my neighbor? So, the story is meant to address that question. And Jesus ends the story with a pointed application question.

Who was the neighbor of the man who was attacked and injured by the theives? Notice the wording. Jesus is asking a guiding question. A four-year-old could answer. It’s that kind of question. There is an expected answer.

Now this totally turns our normal interpretation on its head. Normally we say that loving your neighbor means loving everyone, even people we don’t like. That is true, we should love everyone. And Jesus teaches that. But that isn’t what He is after with this question.

Instead, Jesus implies that the Samaritan was the neighbor that the injured man should love, and the priest and Levite we’re not. Why? Why would Jesus do that?

Jesus is teaching this man to love those who acted in accordance with the laws of God. This didn’t mean the man was supposed to hate the priest and Levite. But he should first love the one who had done the right thing.

Jesus Himself practiced this. Though He preached to all, He focused on those who were willing to listen. Yes, He loves all men, but He will take those who receive Him into His family.

Heavenly Father, thank You so much for making us brothers and sisters in Christ! The family bond we share is deeper than any other. You are merciful and gracious, and faithful! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

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.’

Luke 10:35

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact value of the two denarii that the Samaritan gave for this man’s care. Inflation and differences in services rendered make it difficult to judge. But, a good guess would be that this would be akin to, at the least, someone today paying for two nights in a hotel. Depending on the the hotel, here in the US that could cost between $120 and $240, or more in tourist areas.

So this Samaritan put this guy up for a couple of nights, and also says he will pay if the man needs to stay longer. In other words, he wasn’t trying to get by without doing much for the man who had fallen among the thieves. He was making sure this guy had all that he might need to get well and get on his way.

Now, it is important to point something out here. The Lord Jesus does teach us to give sacrificially. He does want us to give to others even when it isn’t convenient for us. But, He is not here teaching us about giving specifically. He is answering the question, ‘who is my neighbor?’

Thus, the Lord does not expect us to take our starving child’s last scrap of bread and give it to the neighbor’s child who is hungry. What He is does expect is that if we can give, we will. The Samaritan was a man of substance. It is possible that he was richer than the other three men on the road. That doesn’t mean it was easy for him to do this. It is often harder to give when you are rich then when you are poor. He had to sacrifice his own luxuries to supply for this man’s need.

This fits so well with the question that was asked. The Samaritan could have left this Jewish man, a man who would likely hate him under normal circumstances. More than that, following the logic of the Jewish leaders, the Samaritan could have considered himself the holier of the two, and condemned this man as getting what he deserved. But the Samaritan didn’t do that.

Heavenly Father, thank You for treating us so well. You could look at us in all of our sin and choose to forsake us. But You do not. In Your mercy and grace You make it possible for us to be partakers of the kingdom of light. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

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.

Luke 10:34

The Samaritan doesn’t do this thing halfway. He is thorough and gives the man exactly the care that he needs.

The oil and wine both had properties that would help in the healing. The wine was likely just fermented grape juice and would cleanse the wound. The oil was like cooking oil, though more raw/pure than what we use today. It helped avoid infection.

Care at an inn would not necessarily have cost an arm and a leg, but it wasn’t cheap. The Samaritan, rather than continuing his journey, stays at the inn that evening to see to the man’s needs.

Heavenly Father, thank You for saving our souls! As we look at the world around us we are amazed at Your mighty power. And yet, this is a world impacted by sin. We can only imagine what it was like before the consequences of sin. You are truly the Marvelous Creator. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.

Luke10:33

Like the others, this Samaritan sees the wounded man by the roadside. Unlike them he has compassion.

Compassion is a sympathetic pity in this case. The Samaritan recognized that what had befallen this man could easily have befallen him.

Jesus introduces a Samaritan into the story because the Jews and Samaritans didn’t like each other. This strongly teaches that we are not treat others poorly on the basis of their birthplace or nationality.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being so kind to us! You have saved us and given us so much in Christ. We will thank You forever! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.”

Luke 10:32

The Levite, unfortunately, performs no better than the priest. He takes the time to look at this poor wretch, but passes by on the other side of the road nonetheless.

Keep in mind too that had the wounded man been conscious, or someone important, he might have been helped by his countrymen. Surely, had there been a crowd present, something would have had to be said. But even at that, the Jews believed misfortune was always punishment; he may still not have been assisted.

Heavenly Father, thank You for helping us in our wretched condition. You have offered salvation to the robber and the hypocrite alike. Thank You for allowing us in from the dangerous road to the high way. You are merciful and just. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.”

Luke 10:31

Jesus is the Master storyteller. The priest avoids this man completely. Even if there were not any priests in attendance when Jesus told this parable, the lawyer likely knew some of them.

In any case, everyone listening got the point here right away. One of the most well respected leaders of the Jewish people avoided helping this person altogether.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us family and friendship. Having other people to share this life with is a great blessing. Your care for others is a model for us. You are the caring, compassionate Shepherd. We love You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 10:30 "Then Jesus answered and said: "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."
The lawyer’s question was no trouble for Jesus. Instead, Jesus used it as the perfect setup for one of the most memorable stories in the history of the world.
This parable, which begins with the man among the thieves, is quite amazing and influential. This man that Jesus tells us about we see from the wording here comes upon a band of robbers. Presumably they had habitually stayed in that area to come upon travellers by surprise and take their valuables.
Heavenly Father, thank You for this day in which to serve You. Protect us from the evil one that we may praise You and serve You with all of our hearts. Your creation is glorious, but shows us only a fraction of Your glory. You are amazing! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 10:29 "But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

The lawyer didn’t expect the answer Christ gave him. Rather than be embarrassed by Christ, he wanted to save face. As a result he asks one of the most ridiculous questions ever. But, he comes off looking smart, and others have asked the same question since.
This happens all the time. People are embarrassed by their inability to understand God. They think they should be able to outsmart Him. But we cannot. The Lord is so much more intelligent than the most intelligent of His created beings that there is absolutely no comparison.

Heavenly Father, You are so incredibly smart! We often forget just how amazingly clever you are. It isn’t a characteristic of You that we think about a lot. But, You are tremendously knowledgeable, and wise beyond all reckoning. Thank You for Your Omniscience! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.