More about Easter than Christmas, but who is my neighbor?

Okay, it's not a Christmassy Bible study, but our Coffee Break group is clearly in the runup to Easter by now. Our timeline might seem a little odd, but we're trying to follow days and years while the Gospel writers were following ideas. And here's where we find ourselves, just after last week's study where Jesus promised Fire and Brimstone for cities that he loved.

(63) Samaritan Tales

Remember John 8:48. “Samaritan” was the ultimate insult. But Jesus is planning to return to Jerusalem (perhaps for the Feast of Dedication—John 10:22—in winter); Samaria lies on the shortest route. It’s also the most local “bad place” and Jesus has just been talking about the dire fate in store for “good places” that reject him. Read Luke 9:51-56

1.       Read Luke 9:53 Why didn’t the Samaritans want Jesus in their village? Was it just that Jesus was a Jew, or is something more going on? (After all, they liked him earlier—John 4:40.)

2.       Read Luke 9:54 Why might James and John react so strongly? (In our timeline, Luke 10:13-15 precedes this.)

3.       Read Luke 9:55-56 Did Jesus approve of James and John’s reaction?

4.       Read 2 Kings 1 (or just read verses 2-4,9-10) James and John would have known this story but interpreted it wrongly. How easily do we, our churches, or our society, use the Bible to justify things God might not approve of?

5.       What is the important difference between the disciples’ desires in Samaria, and Jesus’ remarks in Galilee?

Soon after this, Jesus is being questioned by a lawyer. Let’s assume he made it to Jerusalem and imagine the questioning takes place there—a question asked of someone who has just come through Samaria and is (as we’ll see next time) already facing opposition (again) from the Jerusalem authorities. Read Luke 10:25-28

1.       Does the lawyer sound honest? Sincere? Well-taught?

a.       Others will ask the same question later (Read Matthew 22:34-40). What is different about them?

b.      Is there a time when you’ve asked for God’s guidance and been led to read or remember Scripture?

2.       Read Luke 10:29. The Pharisees in Matthew’s account don’t offer a follow-up question. Is the lawyer being offensive, curious, puzzled,…?

3.       Read Luke 10:28-37 It’s a familiar story. Let’s look at the characters:

a.       Read Luke 10:30 Who is the man? Is he the neighbor (Read verse 36)? If not, who does he represent?

b.      Who are the thieves? Who might they represent in our world? (What is their goal?)

c.       Read Luke 10:31 Why would a priest pass by instead of helping?

                                                                                       i.      How were the priests going to avoid recognizing the Christ?

                                                                                     ii.      How might someone today use religious duty to avoid showing Christian love?

d.      Read Luke 10:32 Why would a Levite pass by?

                                                                                       i.      How were the Levites avoiding recognizing the Christ?

                                                                                     ii.      How might we let religious laws wrong interfere with Christian love?

e.      Read Luke 10:33 Is the Samaritan more compassionate, less legalistic, less well educated…?

f.        Read Luke 10:34-35 How will the inn-keeper get paid? And will the wounded man ever know who saved him? Should we only help those who know we’re helping in God’s name?

The disciples have just traveled through Samaria, where Jesus has just been rejected. How might they feel hearing this story? Meanwhile other listeners have spent their entire lives rejecting Samaritans. How might they feel?

1.       Samaritans had made mistakes in their faith and in their laws. Who might we think have made mistakes?

2.       How willing are we to accept that that sinners and the unsaved are not only our neighbors, but potentially better neighbors than our religious leaders?

3.       Who are our neighbors? And what sort of neighbors are we?