Most of us know the parable of the Good Samaritan, but what if we’ve misunderstood its core message? In Luke 10, Jesus challenges not just our definition of love, but our assumptions about who we are in the story. This parable isn’t a motivational tale about becoming better neighbors. It’s a radical call to recognize how helpless we are and how deeply we need a Savior who meets us in our worst condition.
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
The Challenge
In Luke 10, a lawyer stands up to test Jesus with a question that echoes through every human heart: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” He’s not asking because he’s curious. He already believes he knows the answer. He assumes the law can justify him. He thinks he’s pulling it off.
Jesus responds with another question: “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” The lawyer answers correctly: love God and love your neighbor. But he misses the point entirely. He treats the Law as a checklist rather than a mirror. When he follows up with “And who is my neighbor?” we see his goal. He’s not trying to love more deeply; he’s trying to justify himself.
Jesus exposes a fatal flaw in our religious instincts. We think eternal life is something we earn. We think we can be good enough, consistent enough, devoted enough. But life under the Law turns us inward. It becomes more about our effort for God than about what God has done for us. The more we obsess over our own righteousness, the more we avoid the messiness of others. And that’s exactly where true love lives.
The Story
To answer the lawyer, Jesus tells the story of a man left for dead. He’s robbed, beaten, and abandoned. Two religious leaders walk by. They see him, but they don’t stop. They have their reasons. Ritual purity. Safety. Schedule. But the result is the same. They do nothing.
Then comes a Samaritan. An outsider. An enemy in the eyes of both Jews and Jesus’ disciples. And yet, he stops. He has compassion. He moves toward the wounded man, treats his injuries, carries him to safety, and pays for his recovery.
This parable isn’t a sentimental lesson about helping strangers. It’s a subversive rebuke of religious self-righteousness. Jesus isn’t asking us to be the hero. He’s showing us we aren’t the hero. We’re the one in the ditch.
And the people we think will save us—the religious experts, the moral examples, the rule-keepers—pass us by. They can’t help. They’re too concerned with maintaining their own holiness. But, the one we’re most likely to reject and who our sinful hearts deems offensive is the one who stops. He’s the one who shows mercy.
The Flip
Jesus ends with a surprising question: “Which of these three proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He doesn’t ask, “Who is your neighbor?” He flips it. He asks, “Who has been a neighbor to you?”
The lawyer can’t even say “Samaritan.” He simply says, “The one who showed him mercy.”
That’s the point. You need mercy. You need a Neighbor. And the only one who offers it is Jesus Christ.
He is the Good Samaritan. He was despised and rejected, labeled a blasphemer, and executed outside the city. But He did what the Law could not. He came to us when we were helpless. He bound up our wounds with His own, paid for our healing with His blood, and promised to return and bring us home. Every cost has already been covered by Him.
Jesus isn’t just asking you to go and do likewise. He’s telling you, first, that you can’t without Him. The Law will always pass you by. Religion will never bleed for you. But Jesus already has.
This article is a recap of a sermon preached by Pastor Hunter Sipe at Good Shepherd Bible Church on Sunday, May 18, 2025 entitled The Good What??. This sermon continues our expositional series on Luke’s gospel entitled Luke: Good News for the Rest of Us. This sermon and others are available for listening on the Good Shepherd Bible Church Sermon Podcast.
Good Shepherd Bible Church is an Acts 29 church located in Pataskala, OH serving the eastern Columbus area.
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