Luke 10:36-37 … Going & Doing likewise (05/21/17)
“Said Jesus: Which of these three, do you think, was a Neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers? … He answered: The one who showed him kindness … Jesus said to him: Go and do likewise.” ~ Luke (Luke 10:36-37)
The Parable of the Good Samaritan (in which these two verses are found) is one of the most important parables in the entire New Testament, if for no other reason than it of all the parables best illustrates Jesus’ Truth that we are to Love our enemies by showing them humble acts Compassion & Kindness.
“But how is this so?” many might ask “This is merely a story about being kind to strangers in need, not about Loving our enemies.”
Not so, my Friends — Not so at all …
Consider first & foremost that the “neighbor” in this tale was not a normal neighbor, but rather was a Samaritan; a member of the primary cultural enemies of the Jews in Jesus’ day (see Luke 10:33-34, in light of Matthew 10:5, John 4:4, Luke 9:52-56, Luke 17:11-19 et al) …
Second, consider as well that the word here translated as “kindness” is more often – and more accurately – translated as “mercy”; a translation that happens to harmonize with the passage’s corresponding text in the ancient manuscripts (where the Greek “eleos” is used, a word that indeed meant “mercy” first & foremost – see Strong’s #1656). And to whom do you we show mercy in our lives? That’s right – those who have wronged us – we show mercy to our enemies …
Third, considering that this is the only place in the entire Bible where Jesus defines “neighbor”, and considering he does so here at the bequest of a “lawyer” who had directly asked him for that definition, this parable has profound implications for Jesus’ primary commandment for us all – namely, the Commandment to “Love your neighbor as yourself”(see Matthew 22:39); a Commandment which – after Jesus’ own definition has been inserted – now quite clearly reads “Love your enemy as yourself” …
Fourth, and most important of all, the end of this tale has Jesus not only commending the lawyer for discerning that the Samaritan was the hero of the tale – that the Samaritan was the “neighbor” therein, but that he, like the rest of us, was then to “go and do likewise”; that he – like the rest of us, was to go forth and actively & humbly Care for his enemies as well!
Amen … Let it be so.
P.S. As an important aside – note the obvious anti-religious undertone to this parable; with the “Priest” & the “Levite” playing the role of tale’s villains – no accident in all likelihood, remembering that Jesus spent a great deal of time during his ministry openly denouncing, amending, &/or outright rejecting the majority of the 613 Old Testament laws still in effect in his day.
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