Summary: There are a lot of references to good Samaritans in our culture -- including hospitals and churches and institutions that bear the name of Good Samaritan. We see articles in print or on TV about people who do "Good Samaritan" deeds. But Jesus says it is really a matter of faith and being able to put our faith in action.
A few years ago, a professor of preaching said, in commentary about The Good Samaritan, "Everyone wants to be the good Samaritan, not realizing what that would entail ... Being a good Samaritan has become a litmus test for sufficient faith, even for those who are not religious, evaluating what it means to be a good person, period. And rightly so."1
There is a lot of evidence to back that statement up. We have a national "Good Samaritan Day" (March 13) each year. National news, and especially local news stations, are on the lookout for good Samaritan stories to share with their viewers and readers. A majority of the 50 states have some version of "Good Samaritan" laws which offer some protections to those who jump in to help people who are injured or in peril.
Last year the Daniel Penny trial in New York City drew much attention. Penny is the former Marine who put a man who had been frightening people on a subway train in a choke hold. After the man died, Penny was arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely. The prosecution asked the judge not to allow witnesses to refer to Penny as a "hero" or "good Samaritan." Strong feelings abound on both sides of that trial.
Perhaps no other parable or story told by Jesus has both the staying power and wide-spread recognition as the Good Samaritan. We are looking at this again today, hopefully with fresh eyes and open minds.
Most good stories have some common parts: hero, villain, other characters, plot twists, conflict, surprises, call to action and more. The Good Samaritan has all of these.
The expert in the law (i.e., lawyer) asks a question to test Jesus, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus answers, as he often did, with a question, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" During this back and forth, the lawyer gives correct answers, quoting from both Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Jesus simply told him he was correct and that he should do that. "Do this and you will live."
The lawyer had a follow-up question to get more definition to the answer. "And who is my neighbor?" That question, of course, prompted Jesus to tell the story of the good Samaritan.
You've heard this before, haven't you? Traveler ... robbers ... priest ... Levite ... Samaritan ... first aid ... donkey ride ... inn keeper ... two denarii ... promise to return.
And the question, "Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?"
And the answer, "The one who showed him mercy."
And the instruction, "Go and do likewise."
Beyond the questions just mentioned, we may still have other questions:
And what about the disciples? Luke tells us they had just returned from being sent out as part of the 72. Jesus encouraged them, telling them they had been blessed by seeing and hearing what they saw and heard.3 Did the story Jesus told (to the lawyer) encourage them, or did it challenge them in their perception of the work and ministry Jesus had called them to do?
From that well-told story, amazing things have happened. Hospitals have been built and named -- a quick Google search discovered at least 12 major hospitals nationwide with the name, and this writer can name two much smaller hospitals in Ohio that have the "Good Samaritan" name.
Hospitals, churches and institutions have been named after this unnamed man. Good Samaritan. Most of us know a good Samaritan when we see or meet one. There are the famous ones like Mother Theresa, or Albert Schweitzer, and the well-known institutions like the Salvation Army and the Red Cross.
Then there are the everyday good Samaritans like the one who stops to change a tire for someone alongside the road, or who helps a blind person cross the street, or who helps someone with their groceries, or who holds the door for someone. You might say these are mostly common courtesies, but we all know these are not so common and courtesies are sometimes few and far between today.
But more than the name, the thought of springing into action to help people when they need it can, in part at least, be traced to the idea of being a good Samaritan. And, whether we can trace it back to Jesus' story or not, this idea of helping people in need clearly falls under the great commandment4 to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself.
So up until now, we've spent time looking at today's passage and seeing the lawyer ask Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. We also saw his follow-up question that prompted Jesus' wonderful parable. We've seen some of the incredible ways this parable has affected people and challenged them to live out the great commandment through how they act in compassion and love for others, especially those in need.
Let's get personal now. The question asked of Jesus is the question we all need to ask. What must I do to inherit eternal life? (italics added) The stakes are high. So high, in fact, that God sent his son to Earth to be our Savior. But as Jesus showed the lawyer, it's not a particular thing we do to inherit eternal life, but how we love God and others.
In a real way, Jesus is the good Samaritan who has compassion on us. He stepped down from heaven to make a way for you and me to inherit eternal life. He has compassion and love for us and that changed everything. He made a way for all of us to inherit eternal life through faith in him.
When we speak of eternal life, we should realize that eternal life begins here and now. When Jesus shows us mercy and says, "Go and do likewise," we are on our way to eternal life.
Roberta Bell was an eight-year employee at the Louisiana Transition Center for Women, a privately-run educational and training corrections facility in Tallulah, Louisiana, for inmates within one year of being released. Her life was about to change because of her faith and willingness to be a good Samaritan.
Katie Bourgeois had been incarcerated (for drug use while on parole) for a few months in that facility in 2023 when she discovered she was pregnant. If she went full term with her baby, he would be born about two months before Katie was due to be released. She desperately wanted to keep her baby, but she had no family or friends that could, or would, keep the baby for those first couple of months. There seemed to be no alternative but to see her baby become a ward of the state.
When talking with other inmates about her situation, several of them mentioned that Roberta Bell, one of the corrections officers, was known to love babies and might be able to help. One of Katie's friends explained her situation to Roberta. Roberta approached Katie and offered to help. She told Katie she was willing to take the baby for those two months. She later said, "I knew that God wanted me to follow my heart, and I knew I couldn't allow a baby to go to protective services when Katie really wanted that child."
Roberta knew that the people in charge of the facility would probably not allow this to happen because of rules that prohibited sharing personal contact information with inmates, Nonetheless, Roberta felt she had to try. When told there was no way this could be allowed, Roberta said she was going to do it because it was the right thing to do. She was terminated from her employment immediately.
True to her word, she came to the hospital and took baby Kayson home with her. Two months later, when she was released, Roberta also invited Katie to live with her until she got a job and was able to live on her own with her baby.
Roberta found other employment. She said her dream is to start a group home for women who have recently been released from prison and have no place to go. Bourgeois said she would help.5
None of us know from day to day the opportunities that might come our way to take a step of faith and be a good Samaritan. But Jesus tells us to be available and "Go and do likewise."