By Liaf
I heard the story in Luke 10:25-37 preached again. We all heard about the story of the Good Samaritan, haven't we? Let's read that passage:
And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 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. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 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. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 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. 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. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
Now, we are all told this story how the Samaritan did the loving thing for that poor guy while the Jews, specifically the priest and Levite were heartless. However, were they really heartless? or were they following the Law? You see, there is more to this story than meets our Gentile eyes. This is a story that goes way beyond just loving your neighbor. This story, in its disguise, foreshadows the great love God has for us through Jesus Christ. "Oh, yes." replies a roller. "We should be like Jesus. That's what he would have done, praise God!" No, there's even more to it. Look at the context of the text.
There came to Jesus a certain lawyer. This guy was the Harvard graduate of the Law. He wanted to test this Jesus and see what he knew about the Law. Jesus, sensing he wanted to justify himself by following the Law instead of understanding the spirituality of the Law, stated the unthinkable. He told a parable where a man needed the help of some passerbys. Jesus could have used anyone in the example, but he picked on a priest and Levite. Why? All the Jews knew back then, as did this Lawyer, that touching such a man would have defiled them. After all, he could have been dead, and who, pray tell, wants to touch a strange, beat-up, naked body? So, what was the real crime of the priest and Levite? After all, the Law very clearly stated that they were not to defile themselves since they were servants of God. Yet, a negative light is cast on them. How do we reconcile this contradiction?
These kinds of problems, where the priest and Levite would have sinned had they helped him and yet sinned by NOT helping him, are why some people believe the Law "was done away with in Christ". After all, these guys were in a precarious position to say the least--- damned if they do and damned if they don't. People think that God contradicts Himself by the Old Testament Law and therefore Jesus had to rewrite it in the language of love so-to-speak. Yet, Jesus clearly stated the Law was not done away with: "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." No---- the problem is that most people, like the Lawyer, priest and Levite friends here, see only the duty part of the Law. What they miss out on is the mercy. The Law was NOT done away with. Rather, the mercy part of the Law, that which foreshadows Christ (and by extension our mission in Him), clearly makes a provision to help that man.
The priest and Levite should have touched him and helped him. "But I thought you just said that the Law stated this would defile them?" Yes, it would. HOWEVER, the Law makes it plain that such defilement foreshadowed the work of Christ and His mercy. If you are at least somewhat versed in the Law, you understand that some of the sacrificial refuse was thrown outside the camp. Lepers were to go outside of the people--- and so forth. Sin was out there. Nothing good was out there. And what about Jesus? Jesus was treated that way as the Scripture says:
Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. (Hebrews 13:12).
And again,
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (II Corinthians 5:21).
Had the priest and Levite helped that man, they would have been a type of Jesus! They would have taken on the sin of that man so that he could live! It's that simple, and yet how this truth could have been so overlooked by the mainline church goes beyond us!
Yes, that "Gentile" Samaritan took on the nature of Christ and defiled himself to save the man. And take note! The house of Judah and her priests and Levites rejected that insight in favor of following the Law!
So there you have it! This is just another one of those ingenious examples God gave to us to demonstrate the person, nature and work of our Lord Jesus!