Luke 10 Commentary

Jesus instructs the seventy how to respond when a town receives them favorably and how to respond when a town receives them unfavorably.

A lawyer comes to put Jesus to the test by asking Him what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus deftly flips the question back to the religious expert: "What does the law say?" The lawyer answers with the two greatest commandments: Love God and Love Others. Jesus tells him that he has answered correctly and to do this to inherit eternal life. The lawyer wishes to justify himself to these commandments and asks Jesus: "Who is my neighbor?"

Jesus tells the lawyer a parable in response to his self-justifying question: Who is my neighbor? The story is about a traveler who is attacked, robbed, and left for dead on the side of the road. Three men come by. The first two pass by and deliberately avoid the dying man. The third, a despised Samaritan, not only stops to help him, but also goes above and beyond to ensure that he is taken care of so that he can recover his health.

Jesus asks the religious lawyer which of the three travelers was a neighbor to the injured man. The lawyer responds, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus counsels the Lawyer to be like this Samaritan if he wishes to inherit the blessings of eternal life.