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When people read the story about the Good Samaritan recorded in Luke 10:30-37 they think it is just a nice story about a kindly Samaritan helping a poor man who was robbed and beaten. But they forget to consider it in context and that it could very well have been a true story everyone listening to Jesus would have known about. I tend to believe it actually happened because I was in Israel in 1983 and visited the remains of the inn which the Samaritan brought the person to. I wouldn't be surprised if the listeners may have known the people involved.

We need to go back to verse 25 when a "certain" lawyer stood and tried to tempt Jesus by asking how to inherit eternal life. Jesus referred him to the law of Moses. He asked the lawyer about what was in the law and the man told him an expanded version of what was written in Deuteronomy 6:5. It didn't include treating your neighbor as you would yourself.

Then the lawyer asked Jesus who his neighbor was. He may have been expecting Jesus to say other lawyers or maybe the Pharisees. But that was when Jesus told the account about two men the lawyer may have personally known leaving a poor man to suffer and possibly die if it hadn't been for the Samaritan showing up. I believe these were real people because the verses mention a "certain" man was traveling down from Jerusalem to Jericho. A "certain" priest saw the victim and passed by him on the other side of the road. A Levite, quite possibly a lawyer like the questioner, also passed by on the other side.

The "certain" Samaritan had compassion on him and helped him. He bound up his wounds, poured in oil and wine to prevent infection, set the man on his donkey, and brought him to an inn. The Samaritan paid the innkeeper two days pay to take care of the man and told him that whatever extra costs there were would be paid.

Jesus asked the people which one acted more like a neighbor. They all answered the Samaritan. Jesus told them to do likewise. The Lawyer may have been embarrassed if the priest and Levite were people he knew and someone that the Jews considered the scum of the earth went out of his way and helped a Jew; someone who normally would hate him.

Also, since the victim was naked and the Samaritan must have been rich, the victim could have been poor for all the Samaritan knew and he himself would be a target of bandits. He risked death to help the man whose countrymen didn't want to have anything to do with. So this would indicate that we should be neighbors even to people we don't like.

Do you have a neighbor who complains about you for some reason? Try to become friends with them. Be nice to them. If they think you're expecting a reward, refuse to take what they try to give you and tell them you want to help them and expect nothing in return. Tell them it is the Christian thing to do. If they see a Christian they resent being nice to them, it could soften their hearts and allow you to tell them about the Jesus that gives you the ability to be friendly with someone who doesn't like you.

Former President Bush may have used the example of the Good Samaritan as a reason to help Iraq be liberated from Saddam and a reason to help Afghanistan throw off the Taliban rule. If a Christian nation can help a couple Muslim nations that are full of people who hate Christians, that is the Good Samaritan Way. We can love those that may not love us back in hopes that our good will may generate friendship. If we all tried to act like neighbors to everyone, the world would be a better place.

Learn more about this author, Rick Badman.
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