WHO IS THE GOOD SAMARITAN IN THE LORD'S PARABLE?
WHO WAS THE GOOD SAMARITAN IN JESUS’ PARABLE? One of Jesus’ best-known parables is that of the Good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10. It seems on the surface to be a simple story extolling the virtues of going out of one’s way to help those in need and distress, and indeed the responsibilities of godly people to do this. This no religious or moral person would question. Theologically, however, evangelicals would part with those of a more liberal position in seeing more than this in the parable. A parable being “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning,” the meaning one gets from it depends importantly on the identification he makes with the story’s characters. The theological liberal has no hesitation in identifying with the Samaritan, who ministered to the poor man the robbers had attacked and left to die, while the priest and Levite passed by. “The meaning of the parable is right on the surface,” he would say – “you’re supposed to help those in need.” Just so, we evangelicals wo...