Tuesday, August 17, 2021
“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him” (Luke 10:33,34 KJV).
How can this classic passage, the Parable of the Good Samaritan, enlighten us concerning God’s purpose and plan for the nation Israel?
We begin at verse 25 for the context: “[25] And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? [26] He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? [27] And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. [28] And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.”
The “lawyer” here is a scholar of the Law of Moses, a theologian of Judaism, Jewish religion. He has come to test or challenge the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, as with all religious people, he is obsessed with works—doing—to have eternal life. Upon asking the Lord as to what he should do, the Lord forces him to answer his own question: “What is written in the law? how readest thou?” Being an “expert” of the Law, the lawyer is one of the few in his ranks who knows his Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus commends him for correctly summarizing Moses with two passages. “Firstly, Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:4,5). “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:18).
Indeed, if one can keep the Law perfectly, it results in eternal life. Unfortunately, sinners cannot perform flawlessly, so the Law is simply the knowledge of sin instead of the knowledge of salvation (Romans 3:19,20)….
Our latest Bible Q&A: “Can you explain ‘importunity’ in Luke 11:8?”
333 Words of Grace 