The Parable of The Good Samaritan
FOJ: In Jesus simple, but wonderful parable recorded in the tenth chapter of Luke about the Good Samaritan, the story highlights the actions and or virtues of six different characters:
1) the Lawyer
2) the Priest
3) the Levite
4) the Thieves
5) the Good Samaritan
* The sixth character who is so often overlooked is the poor Wounded man himself!
1) The Lawyer never so much as even recognized the wounded man as a man.
2) The Priest purposely avoided the wounded man; passing by him on the far side, as he was more concerned about his own piety and purity.
3) The Levite; like the Priest also avoided any personal contact with the wounded man; as he considered himself too valuable to risk being physically defiled.
4) The Good Samaritan of course is considered to be the hero of Jesus parable because he personally tended to the wounded man’s physical needs.
5) Then, there is also the Thieves in the story. It is apparent that there were two, or maybe even more than two thieves. They not only robbed the poor man; but beat him half to death!
(The thieves obviously are symbolical of Satan and his evil cohorts in this world)
This brings me back to the Sixth character in Jesus parable; “the poor wounded man himself.”
(The poor wounded man, left robbed by the thieves to die represents a lost and dying humanity in an evil infested world)
* It is of course obvious that the Good Samaritan is called GOOD; because he took time and care to tend to the wounded man’s PHYSICAL needs!
Now let me ask this very poignant question: “Of the other five characters in this story; who do you suppose did, by far the most Harm to the development of the poor wounded mans Spiritual needs?”
Answer: The Priest and the Levite! (the two most religious of the whole bunch)
Moral of the story: Never let it be the case; that as a Christian, that we not only fail to be a spiritual witness; but that we allow ourselves to become a major harm or stumbling block to the salvation of a poor lost Soul!
