Luke 10:25-42

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

The Parable of the Good Samaritan; Mary and Martha

The lawyer correctly summed up the Law, but then how did he try to justify himself?
Who fits in the Lord’s definition of neighbor?
Who or what do the priest and Levite in the story represent?
Why did God give the Law?
How is the Law like a mirror?

By asking “Who is my neighbor?” Apparently he must have thought that he was successfully keeping the law.
A neighbor includes anyone who comes across your path in life who is in need –not just your friend, colleague, or person living next door to you.
They represent the Old Testament Law which cannot save a person.
God gave the Law to show what sin is and how God’s moral standards are so high that no one can keep the Law (see Galatians 3:19-24).
A mirror can show us our dirty face, but it cannot wash our dirty face. So the Law has no power to save us –it can only condemn us. It forces us to see that our only hope is Christ.

Discuss the obvious meaning of the story of the Good Samaritan. Do you need to expand your definition of “neighbor”?
Discuss the deeper meaning of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Review who each of the characters represent. What is the application to your life?

Mary and Martha give us a lesson on priorities. Do you, as Martha, get so caught up in your service to the Lord that you lose sight of what is really important? Don’t let your service keep you from worship.

“But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” Luke 10:29
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42