Being A Neighbor

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting April 21 to study Luke 10:25-37 (The Parable of the Good Samaritan).  This is really familiar to nearly everyone, whether they know the Bible or not, they've typically heard of it.  In some ways, this makes it difficult to do what we do.  But in others, it makes it really easy.

Read through the parable in a few translations, looking for differences in word choice and sentence structure.  You will find little change in meaning, but wide variety in choice of words and sentence structure.  Jot down what you notice and questions you have about it.  It is sometimes helpful to look up the different words used for the same thing to see what nuance the translator chose over another.

After you've spent some time doing that, look through some commentaries.  These will answer some of your word-choice and other questions, but will create other questions.  Make more notes to bring to the group.

Once you've been through your own study, go back through with the questions below:

• In that day, a lawyer was one who studied Scripture and debated it.  So, why would this guy "test" Jesus?  What do you think he's up to?
• Jesus throws it back on him asking him what he thinks.  The lawyer gives the answer Jesus gives in Jerusalem when He's tested by the Pharisees.  What does this tell you about what Jews of the day thought about the "Greatest Commandment"? (see also Mark 12:28-34)
• Jesus agrees with the man's answer, so why push on? What was it about which this man needed to "justify himself"?
• Jesus launches into a parable.  In it, a common problem on the road to Jericho, a man is mugged.  Then three people come by.  Why do you think the priest and Levite would decline to help the man?  Keep in mind they are on their way to Jericho, not Jerusalem.
• The two obvious "heroes" aren't, and next comes the Samaritan.  The crowd probably booed at this point.  But he shows compassion.  Now what does the crowd do?  What do you think the Lawyer is feeling?
• Jesus is very detailed about the help the Samaritan gives.  Why do you think it was important to Jesus to be so specific?
• The care the Samaritan gives continues on, it's thorough, it lasts the rest of the day and beyond into the next.  Jesus is not giving any quarter on His definition of neighbor.  Besides the lawyer, what do you think the crowd around Jesus thought when the Samaritan is so thoroughly good?
• Jesus ends by asking the lawyer which of the three was a neighbor to the mugged one.  What do you think is the point of the "neighbor" being a Samaritan?
• The lawyer replies that the neighbor is the one who showed compassion.  But Jesus designed the story so that the lawyer would have to emulate a Samaritan.  Why do you think Jesus would make it more difficult on the lawyer?

After looking through this familiar parable in detail, what do you see as the application for you?  Where are those opportunities to show compassion around you?  And what will you do when you see another of these opportunities?