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A Beautiful Story

by Dr. Henderson Ward  
5/06/2015 / Christian Living

The parable of the Good Samaritan is a beautiful story superbly told by the master of story telling. One would be hard-pressed to mention story tellers comparable to Jesus Christ, although if one was compelled to, then, perhaps, the names of Aesop, Homer and Hans Christian Andersen would be in the mix. But none as delightful and excellent, talented and accomplished, insightful and refreshing as Jesus Christ.

When Jesus Christ taught the people, and he taught them frequently in their synagogues, as well as out in the countryside, and along the beaches, he taught them using stories that are commonly referred to as parables. Many of the Jews were ignorant, and unlearned, but by using parables, to which the Jews were quite familiar, he ensured that all listeners were put on an equal footing.

Who can forget the magnificent Parable of the Sower, or the outstanding Parable of the Talents, or the superb Parable of the Marriage Feast, or the brilliant Parable of the Prodigal Son. Truth be told, Jesus told over three dozen parables as recorded in the Gospels, and the full number is much higher for Jesus scarcely taught except in parables (Mark 4:34), and all his teachings and activities were not recorded (John 21:25).

The danger for most believers is that they tend to gloss over the richness, depth, and compelling nature of these parables, and fail to appreciate, and grasp fully, the magnificent truths Jesus was putting forward.

These parables are not just good stories full of interesting details and brimming with hidden meaning; they are much more than that.

Here is a significant, but often escaped, deep truth.

These parables, if fully digested and conscientiously accommodated, will actually make you a better person. Each parable is like a step on a stairway leading from a deep, dark well winding its way up to the marvellous light.

Just hearing and appreciating these parables are not what were wished-for by Jesus. He did not tell these parables so that people could applaud and admire his superb story telling. That was never his aim.

For believers these parables, like all the teachings of Jesus, if fully understood, have a practical component, it required something from you to close the circle. James put it very forcefully, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." (James 1:22)

This is where Christianity differs mightily from philosophy. Philosophy is about abstraction, logic, argumentation and nebulous concepts, and exists principally for activities of the mind.

Christianity on the converse is principally about one thing; godly living.

People deceive themselves because they put a block on the doing, on the living.

This is the critical aspect of the parable we shall look at, and in some measure it portrays the pitiful state of who we really are.

Life is ours through Jesus Christ but the pathway to that life can be blocked, not by others, but by our own deliberate action or inaction.

Take for example the situation that occurred with the Rich Young Ruler, (Luke 18:18), that asked Jesus, "Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus had compassion on him, took him through the path and showed him how to acquire eternal life, and when Jesus saw the blockage he addressed it.

Jesus said to this ruler, "...sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me." (Luke 18:22)

There is no scripture anywhere, nor is there a teaching in scripture to imply or state that being rich is a sin. But Jesus saw that this man's wealth was blocking him, shutting him out of God's kingdom, and so commanded as in Luke 18:22.

Understanding the theories, doctrines and concepts of Holy Writ is quite fine and commendable. But what God requires, and where so many of us fall short, is implementation.

The parable of the Good Samaritan is probably one of the best known parables in the entire Bible.

It is about a Jewish man who was travelling on the road between Jerusalem and Jerico who was robbed and beaten and left bleeding on the side of the road. A priest came along, saw him and passed along on the other side. A Levite came along, went over and looked, and he too passed along on the other side. Finally a Samaritan came along, went over to the man, administered first aid, put him on his donkey and took him to a medical facility and paid for the man to get help. (Luke 10:29-37)

Why did Jesus tell this parable?

Because a self righteous lawyer thought that he was without blemish, did all the things required by the law, and expected Jesus to publicly endorse his virtues. He expected Jesus to say something like, "Oh yes, you got all that right, you are good and righteous and on your way to glory."

But Jesus could see beyond empty words and self-serving oratory and examine the contents of the heart, and know the debilitating conceit that is there. You are not what you say but what you practice. We are all more significantly affected not by hearing a sermon but by seeing it through your actions.

So Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan.

And Jesus concluded with these mighty words, "Go, and do thou likewise." (Luke 10:37)

You can no more be a Christian and lacking in compassion than you can be a brain surgeon without medical training.

Jesus Christ is still doing extraordinary things, to ordinary people, to make them perform at the super-ordinary level. When your enemy hunger and you feed him is super-ordinary. When they strike you on one cheek and you turn the other is super-ordinary. If they demand your coat, and you give them your cloak also is super-ordinary. When you pray for them that abuse you, that is super-ordinary.

The super-ordinary is done every day by devout Christians; because whenever God lays down a requirement he graciously facilitates its implementation. It was with this understanding that Paul could affirm, "I can do all this through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13 NIV)

The priest and the Levite, men who were expected to be very concerned with the welfare of their fellow Jews, failed the compassion test at the most basic level. Martin Luther King put it well when he once noted that the priest and the Levite asked, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" whereas The Good Samaritan reversed the question and asked "If I don't stop to help him, what will happen to him?"

When you see a fellow human being abused, regardless of his colour, status or orientation, what you do is a measure of your compassion; because he is your neighbour.

When you know that bad things are happening, and you refuse to get involve, and make excuses for your indifference, then you should stop saying the Lord's Prayer; for it seeks to bring God's Kingdom into being.

Without true compassion for your neighbour, your profession of faith is nothing but vain, and pretentious, "I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." (1 Corinthians 13:1)

You pass your neighbours every day as you drive along the roads, you see them every day as you shop in the supermarkets, or pass them sleeping by the roadside, or begging for a handout.

You worship with your neighbours in church, and you have your neighbours shine your shoes, or drive your busses, or scrub your floors, or cook your meals. Even the Lawyer had to admit that the Samaritan, who was from another country and religion, and accounted as an enemy, was his neighbour.

Yes, each and every one of these are our neighbours, and until we jettison our comfortable and entrenched prejudices, and accommodate new values, new ways of living, and show an earnestness to do God's will, whatever the cost, then we have not taken on board what Jesus was trying to teach us by this beautiful story of the Good Samaritan.

Enough said.

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Dr. Henderson Ward received his Doctor of Divinity in theology, with distinction, from Masters International School of Divinity, USA, where he is currently a post-doctoral fellow. Dr. Ward's career involved pastoring, evangelism, and teaching. Copyright 2017

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