Luke 10:33-35 33But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came by him, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34And after coming to him, he bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine, and putting him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35And the next day after taking out two denarii, he gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’
The story continues with a third person passing the badly injured and likely dying man beaten and robbed on the road to Jericho. The surprise of the parable and the key point begins to emerge with the identity of the third person. As is widely known because of this parable, Samaritans and Jews did not get along. They had a long history of conflict, stretching far back into Israel’s history of warring tribes, families, and brothers. Samaria was located northwest of Jericho. It would have been unlikely for a Samaritan to travel to Jericho, but this man found himself taking that trip. It was also likely that most travelers along that road would have been Jews. This leads to the possible conclusion that this Samaritan knew the likely identity of the injured man was Jewish, yet he stopped anyway to check on the man.
Another key point made very clear is that the reason the Samaritan stopped was because he had compassion (esplyangchnisthē). Since the parable is in response to the idea of loving one’s neighbor, there is an implied and important link between love and compassion. Love should lead to compassion. If there is no compassion, then genuine love of God and love of neighbor is missing. The rest of the story shows how the Samaritan acted out his compassion and thus showed his love for the injured man.
The Samaritan did three actions that cost him something. First, he stopped his journey and took care of the man’s wounds. The priest and Levite appeared to be in a hurry and did not want to stop long enough to check on the man. The Samaritan used his own supplies as a first aid kit to take care of the situation. The Samaritan had some basic medical knowledge. Oil and wine were ready-made anesthetics and likely saved the man from serious infection. Second, the Samaritan made a big decision to take the man with him to a better location and not leave him on the road to fend for himself. The Samaritan had to walk the rest of the trip to Jericho while making sure the injured man did not fall off the donkey. Third, the Samaritan took the man to a place of safety and rest so he could recover. This meant finding an inn willing to host the man and then paying for his room and board out of his own pocket. His sterling character and further evidence of his love are evident by the only words we hear him speak in verse 35. He was willing to pay for the man’s hospital bill.
The Samaritan was indeed “good” in his heart because of these actions. Every action he took in this short story confirmed his attitude towards God and other people, even strangers. The story shows the crucial connection between love and compassion. Love often requires a sacrifice of some type. Sacrificing requires trust that God is in sovereign control and will meet our needs and the needs of those we help.
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