Luke 10:25-37
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 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.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 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.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 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.
35 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.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
The Grace New Testament Commentary - Luke 10:25-37
10:25 A certain lawyer, an expert in the OT law, stood up and tested Jesus. The lawyer comes with suspect motives and presumes on his own correctness and righteousness.
10:26 Jesus directs him back to the OT Law and asks, "What is written in the law?" This question further places Jesus in the authoritative role of Teacher using the lawyer's term of address.
10:27 The lawyer responds with an impeccable textbook answer citing both Deut 6:5 and Lev 19:18. The emphasis on heart, soul, and mind point to the inner motivations for loving God in contrast to superficial legalism.
10:28 As the Teacher par excellence Jesus answers in kind - reflecting the lawyer's self-confidence in his own righteousness - but unequivocally cognizant of the Law's inability to save anyone from eternal condemnation (cf. 2 Cor 3:4-18; Gal 2:16; 3:10-12, 21).
10:29 The man nevertheless seeks to justify himself, and he asks Jesus, "who is my neighbor?" The lawyer focuses on the second half of his own response. Perhaps he defines neighbor as his fellow Jewish countryman and perceives himself as a sterling example of obedience to this portion of the Law. Ironically his question ends up not justifying him.
10:30 Jesus answered with a parable that reveals the lawyer's mistaken perspectives and lack of justification on any level. The mention of both Jerusalem and Jericho connects this narrative to the conclusion of Jesus' own opposite journey from Jericho to Jerusalem (see Luke 18:35-19:47a).
10:31 As the parable proceeds, "by chance" another person appears - a passerby "priest came down that road." After seeing the torn traveler, this priest "passed by on the other side." This person charged with teaching the OT Law did not love his neighbor (cf. Mal 2:1-9).
10:32 Then another religious figure connected to Jerusalem and its worship, "a Levite" (cf. Acts 4:36; John 1:19), "passed by" and mirrored the disposition and action of the priest. The Levites aided the priests in special service initially with the movable tabernacle and then later the temple (cf. Num 8:5-26; 18:1-7). Two contemporary religious figures tied intimately to the Law and the temple failed to reflect God's highest purposes - love for the Lord and for others.
10:33 "But a certain Samaritan" (commonly despised by the Jewish people of the day because of their mixed heritage), "as he journeyed saw" the man and "had compassion."
10:34 Jesus details the many expressions of love and compassion shown to the traveler by the Samaritan. This contrasts with the curt and loveless avoidance of the priest and the Levite. The beat-up man contributes nothing to his deliverance and recovery - he pictures a completely passive recipient of all the help given him by both the Samaritan and the innkeeper.
10:35 The Samaritan had to continue on his journey "on the next day." So he paid "two denarii" (the equivalent of two days of wages) "to the innkeeper" and left instructions for the man's continued care.
10:36 Now Jesus has a second question for the lawyer (see Luke 10:26). Ironically, although the lawyer had initiated the conversation desiring to test Jesus, now he himself stood subject to questions about the Law.
10:37 The man answered correctly, selecting the Samaritan, that is, "He who showed mercy on him." Jesus then exhorted the man to "go and do likewise." The master Teacher's question placed the lawyer in an active role as neighbor (as opposed to the passive and selective perspective which colored his question). Jesus' answer set this lawyer on the journey from representing one of the wise and prudent (v 21) to having the disposition of a babe (v 21) who through faith in Jesus would possess eternal life and receive a recompense from Him as well.