A lawyer is Jesus' day was one who interpreted the Law. He was an expert. This lawyer came to Jesus and asked him two questions:
1. What is the greatest commandment?
2. Who is my neighbor?
During that time, the Jews didn't recognize Gentiles, Samaritans, or anyone not Jewish as their neighbor. Jesus responded to the second question by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan. A man was injured by a thief and left on the road to die. A priest came by and walked around him. A Levite did the same thing. The Samaritan not only stopped, but he also poured oil and wine on the man's wounds and bound them up. He then put the man on his animal and took him to an inn. There he took care of the man. When it was time for him to leave the next day, he gave the innkeeper two denari, which was about two days' wages and told him he'd pay for any additional expenses when he returned.
Note: The word used for inn is different from the one used in the gospels regarding the birth of Jesus. Those rooms were simply a room with no furniture or other items. Whatever you needed, you brought with you.
The word used in this passage is derived from the Greek Culture. It denotes hospitality. The room was furnished and services were available.
The road where this took place was between Jerusalem and Jericho. Jericho was 15 or 20 miles for Jerusalem. Priests and Levites stayed there when they weren't performing their duties in the temple.
What do all these elements mean and how does it apply to me? To hear the entire message, please visit our website and click on the Media Tab. You can listen online, download it to your MP3 player, or podcast.
If you're visiting in the area or searching for a place where you can grow in the Lord, we invite you to our Sunday Morning Service at 10:00 AM. Zoe Christian Fellowship is located at 1111 Easton Rd. (Route 611), in Warrington, PA. We look forward to meeting you!
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