This bible lesson uses a parable taught by Jesus to give us a better understanding of what it means to “Love our neighbor”.
Luke, Chapter 10
Setting: Jesus is now engaged in His earthly ministry. At that time Jesus was considered to be a Rabbi or Teacher. He had an unusual understanding of the Old Testament scripture and could and did speak with authority about the Law.
Within the Jewish religious hierarchy, there were disagreements about what portions of the scripture were most important. Some thought all of what we call the Old Testament should be studied and revered. Most thought that the first five books of the Bible had a greater relevance than the other books in what we call the Old Testament. They called these first five books the “Law” or the “Torah”. In this study, Jesus teaches about Love.
Read Luke, Chapter 10: 25-26
An expert in the Law poses a difficult question to Jesus.
Rather than answering directly, Jesus asks him “What is written in the Law?”
Read Luke 10: 27-28
The expert in the Law (or Torah) responded to Jesus by quoting two verses from the Torah. (Recall that these are the first five books of the bible.)
The expert in the Law gave a precise and accurate answer. It was a good answer, and Jesus responded in a positive manner to his reply.
Read Luke 10: 29
This verse says “he wanting to justify himself”. We cannot know exactly what was in the mind of this man. Here are several possibilities:
• he was trying to better understand the Law
• he was trying to make himself look good
• he was trying to trip up Jesus
Jesus understood “the thoughts and attitudes” of this man’s heart. So Jesus gave him an answer that had at least the following attribute – it was designed to help this man understand the depth of the two verses the man had quoted from the Law.
Jesus used a parable, as He did often, to help people to better understand “the spirit” of the Law. We, as humans, often want to see things in “black and white”, but Jesus wanted him (and us) to understand the deeper subtleties of verses in the Old Testament.
Read Luke 10: 30-37
Three men had a chance to help the man who had been robbed and beaten:
- a priest – an Old Testament priest; supposedly a representative of God
- a Levite – a group of people who managed the affairs of the temple.
- a Samaritan – Samaritans were people who were of a “mixed blood” lineage. Part Jew, part Gentile. They were considered to be unclean. They were despised by Jews.
Who does this expert in the Law say was the best neighbor? (see vs 36-37) 
What are some messages Jesus might have been trying to teach with this parable? 
In your own life, how are you doing with: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’. (Luke 10:27 NIV) 
In your own life, how are you doing with:
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Luke 10:27 NIV)
Point of View: Realize that learning to love God and to love our neighbor, in a more meaningful way, grows and develops as we walk closer to God.
Types of Questions: Observation Interpretation Application
If you have the Quest Study Bible:
On page 1522, read the sidebars in the left column:
Why did Jesus include a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan …?
Could a priest and a Levite really have ignored a dying man?
