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Luke 10:25-37
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25On one occasion an expert
in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to
inherit eternal life?”
26“What is written in the
Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27He answered, “‘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, ‘Love your
neighbor as yourself.’”
28“You have answered
correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29But he wanted to justify
himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30In reply Jesus said: “A man
was going down from
31A priest happened to be
going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other
side.
32So too, a Levite, when he
came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33But a Samaritan, as he
traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.
34He went to him and bandaged
his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey,
brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35The next day he took out
two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look
after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra
expense you may have.’
36“Which of these three do
you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37The expert in the law replied,
“The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
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1)
According to
verse 25 what happened on
one occasion?
o
On one occasion an expert in the law
§
Stood up to test Jesus.
§
And asked what he must do to inherit
eternal life.
2)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 26 how did he direct the expert in the law to find out what
he must do to inherit eternal
life?
o
Jesus
§
Directed the expert
in the law to the Law
of Moses that was his area of expertise.
§
And asked for his
opinion based on the Law.
3)
According to
verse 27 how did the expert in the law answer Jesus?
o
He quoted the greatest commandment:
§
Love the Lord your God
Ø
With all your heart.
Ø
And with all your soul.
Ø
And with all your strength.
Ø
And with all your
mind.
§
And love your neighbor as yourself.
4)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 28 what was his assessment of the answer of the expert in
the law?
o
Jesus told him
§
That he had answered correctly.
§
And that he would
live.
§
If
§
He did that.
5)
What is the relationship
between the greatest commandment and eternal life?
o
One could inherit
eternal life by obeying the greatest commandment.
6)
Did the expert in
the law know the answer all along and why then did he ask Jesus?
o
Yes, he did.
o
According to
verse 25 he asked the question just to test Jesus.
7)
According to
verse 29 what did the expert in the law further ask Jesus in order to justify himself?
o
He asked Jesus who his neighbor was.
8)
What might be the
reason the expert in the law further asked Jesus who his neighbor was in order to justify himself?
o
He might have what
he thought was an enlightened definition for neighbor beyond the person living
next door.
o
That
o
He wanted to
speak to.
9)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 30 where was the man in the parable going?
o
The man was going down
§
From
§
To
10)
In accordance
with what Jesus said in verse 30 which is at a higher elevation,
o
11)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 30 what happened to the man as he was going down the road?
o
He was attacked by robbers who
§
Stripped him of his clothes.
§
Beat him.
§
And went away, leaving him half dead.
12)
Would it be
apparent which ethnic group the man belonged to once he was stripped of his clothes?
o
No.
13)
What might be a
reason the parable is set up with the man’s ethnicity left out?
o
It is so set up.
o
Such that
o
The attitude of
other passersby toward him would not be influenced by his ethnicity.
14)
What does it mean
for the man to be left half
dead?
o
He might be
§
Groaning.
§
And writhing on
the ground.
o
Such that
o
There were visual
cues.
o
That
o
He was not dead.
15)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 31 who was going down the same road?
o
A priest happened to be going down the same road.
16)
In accordance
with what Jesus said in verse 31 what direction was the priest traveling in?
o
He was traveling
§
From
§
To
o
Since
o
He was going down
the road to a lower elevation.
17)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 31 what did the priest do when he saw the man lying on the road, half dead?
o
He passed by on the other side.
18)
What does it
suggest about the condition of the road from the description that the priest passed by on the other
side?
o
It suggests
§
That the road was
narrow.
§
Such that
§
He needed to pass by on the other side.
§
And that the priest
came within close proximity of
the half-dead man while passing by.
19)
Did the priest notice that the man
was alive?
o
Yes.
20)
Could the priest be hurrying to
o
No, because he
was traveling
§
From
§
To
21)
Could the priest’s lack of mercy for the
half-dead man be due to restriction in the Law of Moses forbidding him
to come near the man and why, given Leviticus 21:1?
o
No, because
§
The Law only commanded
him not to make himself unclean for handling a dead person.
§
And there was no
restriction for handling a half-dead
man.
· The facilitator asks a specific participant to read
out loud Leviticus 21:1 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
21The Lord said to Moses,
“Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘A priest must not
make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die.
+++++++++++++++++++++
22)
Which ethnic
group did the priest belong
to?
o
He was a Jew.
23)
Could the priest’s lack of mercy for the
half-dead man be due to ethnic prejudice and why?
o
No, because the half-dead man was stripped of his clothes
leaving no clue about his ethnicity.
24)
What should the priest’s lack of mercy for the half-dead man be
attributed to?
o
It should be
attributed to the inner reality of the priest’s own character.
25)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 32 who came along after the priest left the scene?
o
A Levite came along.
26)
What direction
was the Levite traveling in?
o
It is not certain
from the parable.
27)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 32 what did the Levite do when he saw the man lying on the road, half dead?
o
He too passed
by on the other side.
28)
Did the Levite
notice that the man was alive?
o
Yes.
29)
Could the Levite
be hurrying to
o
It is not certain
from the parable.
30)
Could the Levite’s lack of mercy for the half-dead
man be due to restriction in the Law of Moses forbidding him to come
near the man and why?
o
No.
31)
Which ethnic
group did the Levite belong
to?
o
He was a Jew.
32)
Could the Levite’s lack of mercy for the half-dead
man be due to ethnic prejudice and why?
o
No, because the half-dead man was stripped of his clothes
leaving no clue about his ethnicity.
33)
What should the Levite’s lack of mercy for the half-dead man be
attributed to?
o
It should be
attributed to the inner reality of the Levite’s own character.
34)
To the expert in the
law what would be the most likely personality to show up next in the parable?
o
A Jewish lay person would be
expected.
35)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 33 who showed up instead?
o
A Samaritan, as he traveled, came
where the man was.
36)
Was the showing
up of the Samaritan a
surprise to the expert
in the law and why?
o
Yes, because the
Jews
§
Hated the Samaritans.
§
And wanted to have
nothing to do with them.
o
Furthermore inheriting
eternal life was considered the prerogative of the Jews only.
37)
Why did the Jews
hate the Samaritans?
o
According to 2
Kings chapter 17 the Samaritans were foreigners resettled in
38)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 33 what was the difference in terms of emotional response to the man’s plight
between the Samaritan
on the one hand and the priest and the Levite on the other?
o
The Samaritan took pity on the man.
o
While
o
The priest and
the Levite did not.
39)
How did the
presence of mercy for the man in his plight and the lack thereof account for
the difference in behavior of the three passersby?
o
Mercy for the man
in his plight drove the Samaritan
to extending a helping hand.
o
While
o
The lack thereof
led to the inaction of
§
The
priest.
§
The
the Levite.
40)
What did the Samaritan’s mercy for the
man in his plight tell us whether its presence was sufficient for love in
action for neighbor?
o
Mercy for the man
in his plight is a sufficient condition for love in action for neighbor.
41)
What did the lack of mercy of the
priest and the Levite for the man in his plight tell us whether its presence
was necessary for love in action for neighbor?
o
Mercy for the man
in his plight is a necessary condition for love in action for neighbor.
o
For
o
Without it the
priest and the Levite took no action.
42)
What is the
relationship between mercy for neighbor in his plight and love in action for
neighbor?
o
Mercy for neighbor
in his plight is a
§
Sufficient.
§
And necessary
condition.
o
For love in
action for neighbor.
43)
What does the
relationship mean in plain language?
o
It means that it
is with and only with mercy for neighbor in a plight.
o
Will there be love
in action for neighbor.
44)
Is mercy an
emotion and action a behavior?
o
Yes.
45)
What is the cause
and effect between emotion and behavior that can be drawn from the parable?
o
The
emotion is a powerful
impetus driving behavior.
46)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 34 how did the Samaritan tend to the man’s short-term need on the spot?
o
He
§
Bandaged the man’s
wounds, pouring on
Ø
Oil.
Ø
And wine.
§
Put the man on his own donkey.
§
Took him to an inn.
§
And took care of him.
47)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 35 how did the Samaritan tend to the man’s long-term need?
o
The next day the Samaritan
§
Took out two denarii.
§
Gave them to the innkeeper.
§
And told him to look after the man, giving
the assurance.
§
That
§
He would reimburse him for any extra expense.
§
That
§
He might have.
§
When he returned.
48)
What is a denarius worth in those days?
o
A denarius is worth a day’s wages.
49)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 35 how much money did the Samaritan give to the innkeeper for taking care of the man?
o
He gave the innkeeper two days’ wages.
50)
Would the innkeeper continue to
look after the man as instructed when the expenses went over two days’ wages and why?
o
Yes, because the innkeeper would expect
the Samaritan to
return to reimburse
him for any extra expense.
51)
Why would the innkeeper expect the Samaritan to return to reimburse him for any extra expense?
o
It was because
the Samaritan had
established credibility with
the innkeeper.
o
More importantly
good behavior encourages good behavior.
52)
What drove the Samaritan to take care of the
man’s short-term need on the spot?
o
His emotional
response of taking pity on the man in his plight provided the impulse for him to
take care of his short-term need on the spot.
53)
How did the intellect
and emotion of the Samaritan
work together to lead him to tend to the man’s long-term need?
o
First he
formulated a plan through his intellect that would require him to get out of
his way to take care of the man.
o
And then his
emotion furnished the impetus for executing the plan.
54)
What faculties of
the Samaritan worked
together to give rise to love in action for neighbor?
o
His emotion and
intellect worked together to give rise to love in action for neighbor.
55)
Could the Samaritan’s mercy for the
half-dead man be due to ethnic affinity and
why?
o
No, because the half-dead man was stripped of his clothes
leaving no clue about his ethnicity.
56)
What should the Samaritan’s mercy for the half-dead man be
attributed to?
o
It should be
attributed to the inner reality of the Samaritan’s own character.
57)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 36 what was the question he raised to the expert in the law
in concluding the parable?
o
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the
man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
58)
What is Jesus’ definition
of a neighbor in accordance with the parable?
o
Anyone who is
willing to get out of his or her way to help a needy person is the person’s
neighbor.
59)
What is the
implication for the Samaritan
of being a neighbor to the man in the context of inheriting eternal life?
o
The Samaritan is due to
inherit eternal life by loving the man as a neighbor.
60)
According to
verse 37 what was the reply of the expert in the law to Jesus’ question as to who was a neighbor to the man?
o
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on
him.”
61)
Who did the expert in the law intend
to say was a neighbor to the
man?
o
The Samaritan.
62)
What would have
been a more forthright reply from the expert in the law?
o
The expert in the law could have replied, “The Samaritan who
had mercy on him.”
63)
Why did the expert in the law not
directly refer to the Samaritan
in his reply?
o
The idea that the Samaritan was morally
superior to the priest and the Levite was completely unfathomable to him as a
Jew.
64)
What then
compelled the expert in the
law to vouch, albeit hesitantly, for the Samaritan as a neighbor to the man?
o
It was the
strength in the Samaritan’s character that did it.
65)
According to what
Jesus said in verse 37 what did he tell the expert in the law to do?
o
“Go and do likewise.”
66)
Did Jesus concur
with the expert in the law
that the Samaritan was a
neighbor to the man and why?
o
Yes, because Jesus
told the expert in the law to
emulate the Samaritan
in order to inherit eternal life.
67)
What was the
basis for Jesus to tell
the expert in the law to
emulate the Samaritan
in the parable in order to inherit eternal life?
o
Jesus did so.
o
Because
o
The Samaritan in the
parable furnished an example of obeying the greatest commandment for loving his
neighbor.
68)
If the Samaritan
were a real character, did he all of a sudden start obeying the greatest
commandment for loving his neighbor through this event without any prior
history and why?
o
No, because his obeying
the greatest commandment for loving his neighbor is a lifelong process that did
not have its genesis in taking care of the half-dead man.
o
He must have
previously been helpful to
his neighbors in lesser capacities, which enabled him to be helpful in the greater
capacity depicted in the parable.
69)
What examples of
disobedience did the priest and the Levite in the parable furnish?
o
They furnished examples
of disobeying the greatest commandment for them to love someone who could have
been their neighbor.
70)
What eternal
benefit would the expert in
the law get by emulating the Samaritan in the parable?
o
He would inherit
eternal life.
71)
How did the idea sound
to the expert in the law
that he needed to emulate the
Samaritan instead of the priest and the Levite in the parable for the
sake of inheriting eternal life?
o
He was
dumbfounded.
o
Because
o
In his thinking
only the Jews would inherit eternal life.
72)
In what way was
Jesus’ conception of loving neighbor more transcendent than the traditional
Jewish thinking?
o
Jesus’ conception
of loving neighbor transcended the
§
Ethnic.
§
And religious
boundaries.
o
While
o
The traditional
Jewish thinking did not.
73)
According to
verses 25 and 29 what was the intent of the expert in the law as he engaged Jesus in the
dialog on what he must do to
inherit eternal life?
o
He wanted to
§
Test Jesus.
§
And justify
himself.
74)
Did the expert in the law succeed
in what he set out to do with Jesus and why?
o
No, because he
had nothing more transcendent to counter Jesus’ definition of neighbor with.
75)
What happened to
the deeply entrenched mindset of the expert in the law as a Jew concerning who was in and who was out
in terms of inheriting eternal life?
o
It was completely
overthrown.
76)
What did Jesus use in the parable to
frustrate the expert in the
law?
o
Jesus used the Samaritan in the parable
that the Jews hated to frustrate him.
77)
What does the
parable show us that we need to emulate?
o
It shows us a
picture of those
§
Who obey the
greatest commandment for loving neighbor.
§
And whose
behavior we need to emulate.
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Luke 10:25-37
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