The Good Samaritan

The parable of The Good Samaritan is found in Luke 10:25-37.
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

The Sunday school version of this parable teaches us to be kind to others. However, parables also have a deeper meaning. In this story Jesus is telling the lawyer to care for a neighbor as he might his own family. Provide kindness and comfort to those in need. Is that the only meaning to the story?

We can draw another parallel to the characteristics of Christ. Jesus used a Samaritan because of the emnity between the Jewish people and the Samaritans. That parallels the relationship between Jesus and the religious leaders. The Samaritan shows kindness, compassion, love to the injured man in the same way that God and by extension Jesus shows to us regarding our needs, injuries, and failures. The Samaritan makes payment on behalf of the injured man, but moreover, he promises future payment as well. This too mirrors the payment Christ made for past, present and future sin.

One final though:
Hebrews 13:1-3
1 Let brotherly love continue.
2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body