Good Samaritan

A Samaritan, is a person from Samaria. Jesus was not from Samaria.

Besides if He was the man, He would have healed him His self, not paid another person to tke care of him.

 

The passage to which you refer is a "Parable" having doctrinal truth relating directly to how the Christian is to treat his fellowman. To say this isn't Jesus would be correct as He is not a Samaritan, but to deny what Jesus has done in reality for the one fallen in the street is heresy.

Many mistake the parables for actual accounts, though this may have been relating to an actual situation, the distinction is made when the Bible says, "This parable spake he unto his disciples".

The rule of thumb for distinguishing between parables and actual accounts is when the proper names of those involved are mentioned. There is no such thing as "The parable of the rich man and Lazarus". This is an actual account of the rich man lifting up his eyes, being in torments, in a place called hell. The proper name, Lazarus, is then mentioned to clarify the actualitiy of the passage, (sorry, Billy Graham and his followers). Lazarus being in Abraham's Bosom/paradise.


I believe Jesus was getting the point across concerning the use of the term "a Samaritan". They were the scowl, or the castaways of society in that day. Jesus used this parable as reproof and a rebuke to the "religious" of that day, showing that even a Samaritan was capable of doing "good works".

Notice how everyone else passed by the man lying in the street, not lifting a finger to help him in any way. The Samaritan knows how it is to be forsaken by everyone else, couldn't we relate that to Jesus? He came unto His own, and they received Him not!

The truth of the Gospel of Christ is told to us through this parable, just as many other parables do. Jesus is the "Good Samaritan". He found us lying in the street, polluted in our own blood, without anyway to save ourselves, helped us back on our feet, established our goings, and paid our debt in full. Exactly as the Samaritan did in the parable!

Ain't God Good!?!


In Christ!

Brother Ricky

 

Culturally, the Samaritans were nominal Jews whose religious practices had also incorporated more mysticism and superstition. They were to the Jews what the Kurds are to the Siites of Iraq. The Samaritans were shunned by Jerusalem as an offshoot, and were sometimes referred to as pagan heretics. A Gallilean would not even walk the same road as a Samaritan, let alone interact with one.

I suppose if the parable were written in the United States today, it would very well be the "Good Mormon" instead of the "Good Samaritan". Imagine the idea of one of us being on the road, bloody and batterred, as Christian brethren are too busy to stop, but a Mormon walking by does just what the Samaritan did in the parable. Just imagine that. It's that kids of message that Jesus was trying to get across to his desciples.

 

I think you have it backwards here John. Jesus was extolling the virtures of true belief, which would lead one to help. Therefore, it would not be a "Good Mormon" (which is an oxymoron in spiritual terms). The Good Samaritan is someone Jesus is holding up as an example, something he most certainly would not do with a mormon.

 

The Good Samaritan is someone Jesus is holding up as an example, something he most certainly would not do with a mormon.

Maybe, maybe not. The feelings that the Jews had towards the Samaritans are similar to the feelings we have towards the Mormons. The Jews considered the Samaritans as unscriptural as we do the Mormons. I think, to teach us a lesson, Jesus would indeed use them as an example.

 

[ May 26, 2003, 08:39 PM: Message edited by: 3907 ]

 

The Samaritan in this parable IMO is just a representation of someone looked down upon by those who are so sure that only they and others just like them could possibly be the few, the proud, the chosen-- the righteous ones. The well-known point of the story is that these 'righteous ones' were too busy looking out for number 1 to care about one of their own. But one of the outsiders-- the despised ones, the 'wrong sort'-- was willing to take care of the beaten man beyond what would be normal concern. Then his impure doctrine, his alien status, or the 'scumbag' label attached to him do not matter, because he, not the proud 'righteous ones,' is carrying out the command to love your neighbor as yourself.

Someone said the Samaritan could be likened today to a Mormon; that's very possible. Mormons do have a form of the gospel of Christ, as the Samaritans had a form of 'Israeliness' to them. In either case, being so caught up in perfections can take us away from the very simple commands of Love God and then love everyone else. Jesus Himself was a victim of that way of thinking, for instance, when he went to a Pharisee's home for a meal and a prostitute came in and poured perfume on his feet and wiped them with her hair. The host said that meant there was no way Jesus could be sent from God because He let such a woman touch Him.

There are many who can be the 'Samaritans' today, some of whom are Chrsitians, and some not. "Mainline Protestants," Catholics, charismatics, CCM artists, social drinkers, MV-preferred Bible readers-- these are some examples of the ones those who think themselves 'holy' or 'righteous' point to and say they cannot be right with God, or even that they cannot be Christians at all. But if they are taking action which shows they love their fellow man, while the 'righteous ones' are doing research for their next attacks on CCM advocates or MV Bible readers, then it is the former who are carrying out the will of God.

 

Say what? This represents one of three things here: either you don't know much about the Gospel, or you don't know anything about mormonism, or you just don't know what you just said.

Jesus gave His disciples the example of the Good Samaritan to illustrate what He had come to do for fallen man. Jesus was forsaken by all, but He still came to seek and to save that which is lost. He also made the distinguishing examples of the self-righteous and the religious crowd as well; they will just keep passing by the ones fallen by the wayside. But most of all, and everyone seems to have gotten this one right, by His being the Good Samaritan, is how we should treat one another as human beings. A mormon is perfectly capable of doing just that, so is a devil worshipper for that matter. When the unconverted do more than the "Christian" in helping his brother, it should rebuke him sharply.

Jesus told the disciples that what you have done to the least of these ye have also done unto me: you fed me when I was an hungered, clothed me, gave me water to drink when I was thirsty, etc. The religious crowd only gave him vinegar mixed with gall, (spoiled wine and "yuk!", you really don't want to know!), while He was dying on that cruel Cross of Calvary, but to say the mormons have a "form" of the Gospel? That is just like saying they have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof.


As a strong and active advocate of the missions providing a meal and a place to shower and sleep, job recommendations and help in getting to the hospital when necessary, (I am not boasting), the most important thing of all is to present the Gospel, not some "form"/false doctrine. The masons do just as much concerning help for humanity, but the Lord Jesus Christ did much more than any other man could do, He can save sinful men and give them heaven as the Eternal resting place for all who come to The Good Samaritan!

I'm sorry if I seem to have over-reacted to that statement.

In Christ Jesus ( exactly in that order too!),

Brother Ricky

 

I am afraid I can't see your point here. How is the Jew looking down on the Samaritan because of his ethnic heritage similar to true believers taking a stand against Mormons for their false doctrine? I think Bob is right (incidentally saying the thing I was trying to say). Jesus is pointing out the virtues of true Christianity. The so called religious turned their back on the man and Jesus was rebuking their selfish approach. REmember, this is in response to "Love your neighbor as yourself" to which the Pharisees tried to get out of by saying, "Who is my neighbor?" Christ's response was, "Anyone who has a need, regardless of their ethnic background." In other words, there is no excuse for not loving someone. So i can't how the religious issue plays in here.