According to Anderson, "Mark's version of this same pericope leaves out the parable of the Good Samaritan but makes the same point, in even more emphatic terms, as here it is Jesus himself who gives the proper answer. 'There is no other commandment greater than these,' to love God and neighbor, Jesus says (Mark 12:31)" (2004, 170).
Although different interpretations of the Parable of the Good Samaritan are possible and even encouraged by Jesus (Esler 1995), the basic, unchanging meaning of the Parable of the Good Samaritan contained in Luke and elsewhere in the Bible remains essentially the same: to help others who are in need irrespective of one's relationship to them (Heft 2005). As Anderson points out, "The fact that Mark's treatment of the story is different than Luke's -- the fact of this interpretive complexity -- doesn't change the underlying meaning, and indeed the underlying meaning is that we shouldn't lose sight of what's central, in reading or in the moral life" (2004, 170).
The centrality of the message referred to by Anderson relates to the essence of the Golden Rule that is codified in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Indeed, many of the Ten Commandments can be boiled down to this basic message (i.e., "Thou shalt not steal"; "Thou shalt not bear false witness"; "Thou shalt not kill" etc.). When viewed in this context, the "love thy neighbor" guidance contained in the Parable of the Good Samaritan is truly timeless and universal. Moreover, the centrality of the message of the Parable of the Good Samaritan is the very basis of the Good News brought by Jesus. In this regard, Wilkenhauser emphasizes that, "Since Jesus has appeared as the Savior of all mankind, love of one's neighbor is specially stressed in the reports of his moral preaching" (1958, 217).
Finally, the use of a Samaritan in the parable, a people who were viewed with disdain by many Jewish contemporaries, is also noteworthy because it highlights the fact that all people, as God's children, are "neighbors" for the purposes of the Gold Rule message it contains. In this regard, Wilkenhauser adds that, "Love of one's enemies is at the core of the Sermon on the Mount, and the enquiring Scribe...
Another important characteristic of the passersby is that the first two include high ranking members of the Jewish community. If the person lying by the side of the road were beaten and were truly dead, the Pharisee and the Levite would have been forbidden to touch the body (Gourges, 883). This allowed Jesus to make the point that the upper class would not break tradition, even if it meant a
" few moments later, a social service volunteer hastened down the sidewalk. When he saw the young man, he paused for a moment and shook his head. I'm really trying to rid this city of people like you," he said, shaking his head. "Sleeping in the streets shouldn't be an option. I wish there was something I could do, but I'm late to help society." Finally, as a wealthy businessman driving down
Religion Vocabulary, Christianity: citing your sources: • Gospel -- pertains to one of the first four books of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), or refers more generally to the life and teachings of Jesus (Babylon) • parable -- a "symbolic story" that teaches a moral or religious lesson (Babylon) • baptism -- initiation into Christianity via ritual submergence in water (Babylon) • trinity -- group of three; in Christianity, referring particularly to
Had they been informed of the real subject of the experiment, the seminary students may have behaved differently. Ethical misinformation was part of the construct -- their moral reactions, just as in the grief study, were being observed. However, the relationship between doctor and patient is a particularly sacred one, given that patients must feel free to confide in their doctors. The emotionally vulnerable state of the subjects calls for
Luke/Acts The book of Luke is largely regarded as one of the synoptic gospels that provide a different account of the ministry of Jesus Christ. The author of the book not only provides a different account of the events and life of Jesus Christ but also adopted a biblical approach to his writing instead of a classical style. This book has attracted considerable attention among biblical scholars because of its different
Pearl, by John Steinbeck, has been noted as one of the most highly regarded novels in United States since World War II. Its appealing characters and obvious allegory have helped to make it a mainstay in American literature. A parable is a short work, usually fictitious, that illustrates a lesson, often on the subject of good and evil and the novel reads like a one; rich in religious overtones of
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now