Throughout my life I have been touched by the obvious message of the Parable of the Good Samaritan, namely, to be kind and compassionate like the good Samaritan and not pass by "on the other side" when I see someone who needs help. This is a wonderful message that has inspired many people the world over to act as "good Samaritans" by aiding others and alleviating their suffering.
However, the significance of this parable for me increased when I came across the idea that the good Samaritan in the story represents Jesus Christ. I began reading the parable and applying it to myself from that point of view.
Here is Luke's account of the parable:
"And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted [Jesus], saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
"He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
"And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
"And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
"But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
"And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
"And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
"And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
"And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
"And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
"Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
"And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise" (Luke 10:25-37).
By recognizing that the good Samaritan in this story symbolizes Jesus Christ, I have been able to see who I am in the story in relation to Him. Although I can learn different things by seeing myself as each of the different characters in the story, by far the most significant character for me is the man who fell among the thieves. I can see that everything the fallen man experienced in the parable, I have experienced in my own way, and everything the good Samaritan did for the fallen man, Jesus Christ has done, and is doing, for me. This is what makes the story so deeply intimate and personal and its meaning so profound.
My understanding about this grew exponentially when I came across something my former business law professor at Brigham Young University, John W. Welch, wrote about this parable. Prof. Welch published an article in BYU Studies ("The Good Samaritan: A Type and Shadow of the Plan of Salvation") and a summary of that article in the Ensign magazine ("The Good Samaritan: Forgotten Symbols"), in which he describes his discovery of an early Christian tradition that viewed the parable of the good Samaritan as a detailed allegory of the Fall and Redemption of mankind. About this, he writes:
"In the second century A.D., Irenaeus in France and Clement of Alexandria both saw the good Samaritan as symbolizing Christ Himself saving the fallen victim, wounded with sin. A few years later, Clement's pupil Origen stated that this interpretation came down to him from earlier Christians, who had described the allegory as follows:
"'The man who was going down is Adam. Jerusalem is paradise, and Jericho is the world. The robbers are hostile powers. The priest is the Law, the Levite is the prophets, and the Samaritan is Christ. The wounds are disobedience, the beast is the Lord's body, the [inn], which accepts all who wish to enter, is the Church . . . . The manager of the [inn] is the head of the Church, to whom its care has been entrusted. And the fact that the Samaritan promises he will return represents the Savior's second coming'" [citing Origen, Homily 34.3, Joseph T. Lienhard, trans., Origen: Homilies on Luke, Fragments on Luke (1996), 138].
Prof. Welch goes on to say:
"The parable of the good Samaritan testifies of Christ. It teaches of the plan of salvation, the Savior's atoning love, and our journey toward inheriting eternal life. It can be read as a story not only about a man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, but also about all who come down from the presence of God to live on earth. This meaning becomes most visible in the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ restored through His latter-day prophets."
I highly commend Prof. Welch's commentary to you. I am awestruck by the rich, detailed symbolism and meaning it brings to light, and as I ponder on it, I discover even more symbolism and meaning for myself.
I am also struck by the fact that the Parable of the Good Samaritan, like the Parable of the Lost Sheep, is best understood when considered in the context it was given.
You remember that a lawyer asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life, and Jesus answered with another question: "What is written in the law? how readest thou?"
The lawyer replied, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself."
Jesus said, "Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live." But the lawyer, who was willing to justify (excuse) himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?"
This question — "Who is my neighbor?" — was what prompted Jesus to relate the Parable of the Good Samaritan. After sharing the parable, Jesus returned to this question, asking the lawyer, "Which now of these three [the priest, the Levite and the Samaritan], thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?"
The lawyer answered, "He that shewed mercy on him." Jesus responded, "Go, and do thou likewise."
Jesus's answer, by parable, to the question, "Who is my neighbor?", flipped the focus from (1) looking at another person to decide whether he or she is close enough in relationship or proximity to be considered a "neighbor" deserving of kindness, to (2) looking within and choosing to be a neighbor by showing compassion toward all!
I find it significant that Jesus chose a Samaritan to portray the good neighbor in this parable.
The Samaritan in the story had come from another place. At that time those in Samaria were looked down upon by the Jews, and there was antagonism between the Jews and the Samaritans. Samaritans were of a mixed race, partly Israelite and partly gentile. Yet the good Samaritan chose to be "neighbor" to the fallen man from Jerusalem.
Like the good Samaritan, Jesus Christ came from another place. His mother was a Jew, but He claimed to be the literal Son of God. And Isaiah accurately prophesied of Christ that he would be "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." (Isaiah 53:3).
Jesus Christ was, indeed, the Good Samaritan who chose to be "neighbor" to the fallen man in the parable.
By seeing myself as that fallen man, I come to know and better understand that Jesus chose to be my merciful neighbor.
In a profound way, Jesus responded to the question, "Who is my neighbor?" by answering, "I am. I am your neighbor. Go, and do thou likewise."
On another occasion, Jesus said, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Matthew 5:43-44). This is what our Savior, Jesus Christ, has done. This is the example our Good Samaritan has given us.
In light of this parable, Christ's words have added meaning: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:34-35).
Yes, the Parable of the Good Samaritan is far more than a moral tale about the importance of showing kindness toward others.
Jesus Christ is the Good Samaritan who comes to rescue, cleanse, bind up, bear, care for and heal each one of us. He is our loving, merciful, compassionate Neighbor.
May we show our gratitude and love for Him by accepting His gifts, following Him, and loving others as He has loved us.
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(www.danielborup.com) gratefully used with permission
