SECTION 1 = 8 mins

5 MINS >> REFLECTION

CHARACTER

The Samaritan became known within the church as the Good Samaritan even though Jesus didn’t use the word “good.” It was considered good by the countless people who have read the story over the past 2000+ years. Both the Samaritan and Jesus are known by their selfless acts of love.

The Samaritan was considered good even though we don’t know much about him. Sometimes we, too, are known for something we did, right or wrong, good or bad. Looking beyond one isolated event is helpful if possible. A person can grow wise and mature over time just as they can remain foolish and regress over time. For better or worse, who we are in one moment, or season of life, is not necessarily who we are forever.

The language we use about someone says a lot about them, and us. Calling someone good or bad is, in some ways, taking on the role of God. Whether praising or condemning someone, it’s easy to be biased in our judgments. We tend to favor some and criticize others. It’s helpful to examine our values and beliefs and acknowledge our preferences and opinions. To be more objective, we have to see our own subjectivity. Our process either sees reality or it distorts reality. In Live No Lies, John Mark Comer suggests we sometimes re-define reality (or truth). What we say about someone is important. We are responsible for our words. If we’re careless with our words, we may hurt our neighbor instead of loving them.

Because the Samaritan did something good, you might assume he was a good person. The passage simply says that he felt compassion, and showed mercy. It implies that he loved his neighbor as himself. In most societies, that’s considered good. We don’t know, however, if the Samaritan was a person of character his whole life. We don’t know if he was humble, trustworthy, or had integrity. We don’t know if he was faithful all day, everyday. Was he good; or, did he just do good? We can objectively say that he was loving, compassionate, and merciful in this one situation. As to whether he was good or not, we can leave that up to God.

Unfortunately, we tend to ascribe positive and negative attributes that fall under the categories of good and bad, right and wrong, healthy and unhealthy. A more nuanced approach may be helpful. A better understanding of terms and concepts from the Bible can help us broaden our vocabulary, and be more accurate in our assessments of others, and ourselves. A positive portrayal of someone might include words like loving, compassionate, and merciful. Each of these terms has additional meaning and significance. To embody any one of them requires serious, prayerful effort and intent.

These words from the Apostle Peter are insightful and instructive: Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct, for it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” [1] We rarely use the term “holy” to describe someone. The Samaritan didn’t become known as the Holy Samaritan. In some ways, being holy holy may be more difficult to understand than being good. It seems heavenly, and unattainable. As a result, we overuse the word good. We aspire to be good and do good rather than seek to be holy and set apart. In doing so, we minimize an important element of being Christian.

In the New Testament, the word holy is often connected to the word “spirit,” as in Holy Spirit. One of the obvious characteristics that the Spirit is abiding in you is having the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity (goodness in some translations!), faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Having these attributes is a matter of living by the Spirit, and being guided by the Spirit.

Jesus didn’t use the word “good” for the Samaritan and he didn’t use the word “bad” to describe the priest or Levite. Nor did Jesus call the priest or the Levite lazy, confused, negligent, incompetent, irresponsible, indifferent, or anything else like that. In the story, Jesus only said they passed by the wounded person. We are left to interpret the meaning of what they did. We try to examine their character and determine their motives. We could say that the priest and the Levite were not neighborly. Only the Samaritan was a neighbor. We could say that the priest and Levite were not loving, compassionate or merciful. Only the Samaritan felt compassion, showed mercy, and loved his neighbor.

We can trust that God’s view of the events will be fair and just even if we don’t fully understand why some people do what they do.

References:

[1] 1 Peter 1:15-16 (NRSVUE)

3 mins >> Discussion Questions + Prompts

Discuss the reflection reading above.

SECTION 2 = 8 mins

3 MINS >> read luke 10:25-37 (NRSV shown below)

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. 

“Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

He said to him,

“What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 

He answered,

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 

And he said to him,

“You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus,

“And who is my neighbor?” 

Jesus replied,

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 

But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said,

‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ 

Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”

He said,

“The one who showed him mercy.”

Jesus said to him,

“Go and do likewise.”

5 mins >> Discussion Questions + Prompts

• Identify the verse where Jesus says…do this and you will live.

• What does he mean when he says that?

• Identify the verse where Jesus says…go and do likewise.

• What does he mean when he says that?

SECTION 3 = 11 mins

6 mins >> Watch THREE DIMENSIONS of CHARACTER STRENGTHS

5 mins >> Discussion Questions + Prompts

• Share your thoughts about the video.

• How do the lessons from the video relate to Luke 10:25-37?

SECTION 4 = 10 mins

5 MINS >> Read Stanford/SPARQ’s Take Time to Be a Good Samaritan

5 MINS >> Discussion Questions & Prompts

• Share your thoughts about this experiment.

• How does it relate to Luke 10:25-37?

SECTION 5 = 15 mins

10 mins >> CREATIVE WRITING

• Compose a character sketch about the priest or the Levite. The links provide some basic info. Take the first few minutes to read about one of them. In your character sketch, include a few words about their backstory, personality traits, relationships, or typical routines. List what their values, beliefs, hopes, fears, & motivations might have been.

5 mins >> Discussion Questions + Prompts

• Share some insights from your character sketches.

• How does the character sketch help you understand the Good Samaritan story?

SECTION 6 = 8 mins

7 mins >> Discussion Questions & Prompts

• Discuss how being in a hurry prevents you from loving God & neighbor.

• Take a moment to write down your answer.

1 min >> Prayer & DISMISSAL

Lord, Let us be pleasing in your sight. Amen