BIBLE STUDY LESSON 05

SERIES S --- THE SON OF YHVH

THE GOOD SAMARITAN

From Luke 10:25-11:13

[Teacher, what must one do to live forever?] The man who asked Yeshua this question was a well-educated teacher of Moses’ Law, and Yeshua recognized that this was a trap, so that He would say something He shouldn’t. [What does the Law of Moses say about this?] Yeshua replied. [How do you understand it?] Then the teacher of the Law answered, [You shall love Adonai your YHVH with all your heart, soul, strength and mind; and you shall love your neighbour as yourself.] [You have answered your own question,] Yeshua said. [Follow that Law and you will live forever.] The man wanted to try once more to trap Yeshua, so he asked, [Who, then, is my neighbour?] To answer the man’s question, Yeshua told this story. [Once a man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers pounced upon him, stripped him, beat him, and left him half dead in the road. A priest saw him, but passed by to one side. A Levite also saw him, but passed by on the other side. Then a Samaritan, whom you look down on as a half-breed foreigner, looked upon the man with compassion. He stopped, bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, and carried him on his own donkey to an inn, where he cared for him. The next day the Samaritan gave the innkeeper two denarii, worth about two clays’ wages, and told him to care for the injured man and if it required more, the Samaritan would pay the next time he passed that way. [Which of these three men was a neighbour to the injured man?] [The one who showed kindness,] the teacher of the Law answered. [Go,] Yeshua said. [Be like that Samaritan.] Later, when Yeshua travelled to Bethany, a woman named Martha invited Yeshua home for a meal. When they reached the home, Martha’s sister Mary sat at Yeshua’ feet, listening to Him. This bothered Martha so much that she complained to Yeshua. [Don’t You care that my sister lets me do all the kitchen work alone?] Martha asked. [Why don’t You tell her to help me?] [Martha, Martha, you are frustrated with all these things you are doing,] Yeshua answered. [Mary has chosen a better way today, and I don’t want to take that from her.] At another time, when Yeshua was praying, His disciples asked Him to teach them how they should pray, as John had taught his disciples how to pray. This is what Yeshua taught. [When you pray, say something like this. Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power, and the Glory for ever and ever, amen.] Yeshua said also to them, [What if you go to a friend at midnight and ask to borrow three loaves of bread, for you have a visitor who has come from a distance and have nothing to feed him. What would you think if this neighbour friend called out from his home that he was in bed with his family and could not get up to help you? He may not want to get up merely because you are a friend, but if you keep on knocking urgently at his door, he will eventually get up and help. Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. Whoever keeps on asking will eventually receive. Whoever keeps on seeking will eventually find. And whoever keeps on knocking will eventually find it opened. If a son should ask one of you good fathers for a fish, will you surprise him with a snake instead? Or, if he asks for an egg, will you give him a scorpion instead? Since you, who are sinful people, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more your Father in heaven gives Ruach HaKodesh to those who ask Him.]

COMMENTARY

BIBLE-TIME INNS

The inn to which the Good Samaritan brought the man he had rescued was not at all like a modern hotel. Bible-time inns did not provide travellers with the comforts of home, few of them even supplied beds or food. Travelers were expected to bring their own sleeping pads, and food for themselves and their animals as well. But Bible-time inns did provide one important thing -- shelter from the dangers of the night-time roads. Such protection was necessary both for the people and for their animals. The animals and their keepers stayed on the lower level, while the other travellers slept in the rooms above, looking down over the courtyard.