Living for the Good of Others: The Good Samaritan

Scripture — Luke 10:33-35 (NRSV)

But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.”

Devotion

Jesus’s parable, known to us as The Good Samaritan, paints a powerful picture of someone seeking the best for others. It is ironic that we call the central figure in this parable “good” when he was living and leading for the good of another person. Still, we have much to learn from this parable.

Jesus told the story of the good Samaritan in response to a question posed to him by an expert in the Jewish law. He asked his question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” not to learn from Jesus, but in order to “test him” (10:25). When Jesus responded by asking the man to answer his own question, the questioner quoted the Old Testament’s instructions to love God and neighbor. Though Jesus affirmed his answer, the man pressed on, asking, “And who is my neighbor?” (10:29).

Rather than answering this question directly, Jesus told a story that began with a man traveling along a desolate country road. All by himself, he was beaten, robbed, and left for dead. Two respected Jewish religious leaders, a priest and a Levite, came upon the victim. But neither stopped to help. The fact that they both “passed by on the other side” of the road suggested that they wanted nothing to do with the injured man. Perhaps they were eager to maintain their ceremonial purity. Or perhaps they feared that this could be a setup for them to be robbed. Or perhaps both.

But then, another man came near the victim. He was a Samaritan, a resident of Samaria, the area north of Judea. His ethnic identity would have branded him in the eyes of Jesus’s audience, including the questioner, as an undesirable half-breed, a cultural and religious outcast looked down upon by the Jewish people. But the Samaritan didn’t pass by on the other side. When he saw the injured man, the Samaritan “was moved with pity” (v. 33). Thus, he chose to do something risky, going to the man, caring for and bandaging his wounds. Then, the Samaritan put the man on his own animal, leading him to an inn where he could recover. The Samaritan paid for the cost of the inn and offered to pay more if needed.

As the story comes to an end, Jesus asked his interrogator, “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” (v. 36). The question asker responded, “The one who showed him mercy” (v. 37). Jesus did not actually say, “Good answer,” though this was implied by his response, “Go and do likewise” (v. 37).

What does this story teach us about living and leading for the good of others? Many things, actually. First, it shows us that the fundamental question we need to answer is not, “Who is my neighbor?” so much as “To whom can I be a neighbor?” When I reach out in love and concern, even to a complete stranger, I am being a neighbor to that person.

This parable also recognizes that seeking what’s best for another person, that is, being a neighbor to someone, can be risky, inconvenient, and costly. When the Samaritan stopped to help the injured man, he was making himself vulnerable to the same robbers who did the damage in the first place. For all he knew, the man lying on the road could have been bait for a trap, maybe even part of the robbing gang.

Even if nothing bad happened to the Samaritan, he was certainly inconvenienced. He spent time caring for the injured man and then getting him to an inn. Jesus said that the Samaritan “took care of him” and didn’t leave until the next day. It seems likely that this was not what the Samaritan had planned, and that it delayed his journey considerably. Moreover, his care for the man was costly—yes, in time spent, but also in money spent.

The Samaritan in Jesus’s parable of The Good Samaritan provides a moving example of someone who seeks the good of others. He illustrates the fact that being a neighbor to someone, even a complete stranger, is more important than trying to figure out who your neighbor is. The Samaritan also shows that seeking the good of another person can be costly in time, money, and safety. There’s a risk involved in this sort of gracious behavior. It doesn’t mean we should always do the risky thing. But for those of us who are risk-avoidant, the Good Samaritan’s example challenges us to consider our values and commitments in light of the life and teaching of Jesus.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: The Good Samaritan at Work—Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself (Luke 10:25-37).