In the parables of Jesus - the wisdom of the Lord, which he gives to man not openly, but calls to think, reason and see the meaning embedded in them. The parable of the merciful Samaritan - a call to imitate? Undoubtedly. But this is also an invitation to think about the meaning of life, about its vicissitudes.
What is a parable
To better understand the meaning of the parable, you must have an idea of what it is. Turning to the dictionary, we see that the parable is a short story about an ordinary event, given in allegorical form and containing moral instruction (teaching). V. Dahl formulated it briefly: “A lesson in example” (for example, a story about a merciful Samaritan). In the parable, he saw the current principle of the parabola, focused on the main idea. The great writers and thinkers addressed this genre: Leo Tolstoy, F. Kafka, A. Camus, B. Brecht.
Basil the Great said that the parable indicates the path that you need to follow, leads a person, pointing the way for a favorable course in life. Jesus answered the life questions of his followers with parables. There are not many of them. He spoke a parable, but did not explain. This is not just so, since then a person must go on his own.
Parable as a source of wisdom
One sufficiently cited example is their majority. So, for example, the parable of the merciful Samaritan gives a direct indication of how a person should act. Others begin to think and, to their surprise, see the path to truth. The more they think, the clearer and more versatile it is. There is a spiritual development, and a person wants to know what others think about this. There is a process of cognition, internal change of man. It is to spiritual perfection that God calls for the pursuit of truth, security, because "... the shield and the fence are His truth" (Psalm 90).
For more than two thousand years, people have read the Gospel and find in it a bright source of spiritual development. The wisdom of the Lord is realized gradually. Rereading it for the tenth time, you will, as the first time, discover a new meaning for yourself, wondering and admiring the providence of the incomprehensible power of the Holy Spirit inherent in simple words.
The Parable of the Samaritan
A parable from the New Testament about the merciful Samaritan is a simple story about who to consider as your neighbor. For Jews, a neighbor is a Jew. For the Jew Jesus, all were neighbors for whose sins he was crucified. His goal is to teach people to be merciful to the suffering of another person, Jesus speaks a parable, which in brief can be reduced to the following:
One Jewish scribe decided to test Jesus by asking him how to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus asked him: “What is written in the law about this?” The scribe, who knows him well, answers: "Love the blessed God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself." The answer of Jesus was that you need to observe this, then the kingdom of heaven will be for you. The scribe asked: “And who is the neighbor?” Jesus' answer was the parable of the merciful Samaritan. We give it briefly.
On the way from Jerusalem to Jericho there was one simple man, a Jew. On the way, the robbers attacked him, beating him, took away all his belongings and fled, leaving him lying on the ground. A Jewish priest passed by, who, seeing him, went his own way further. The man continued to lie on the ground as the Levite (minister of the Jewish temple) passed by. He also walked by, not taking part.
The Samaritan, passing by, did not remain indifferent, took pity on the Jew, washed his wounds with wine and oiled them. Having put on his donkey, the merciful Samaritan drove the victim to the hotel, where he took care of him. The next day, leaving, he gave the owner two dinars, ordering him to continue to treat and feed the person, and if there was not enough money, he promised to pay him on the way back.
Having finished the parable, Jesus turned to the questioner: "Who, in his opinion, is the neighbor?" To which he replied: "He has shown mercy." To this, Jesus advised him to go and do the same.
Refinements
The events described in this parable took place more than two thousand years ago. To understand them, some clarifications are needed. First of all, the priest and the Levite are ministers in the Jewish temple. There is a tradition (Law), which requires all Jews to be considered close people who are obliged to help each other. A priest and a Levite are people who occupy certain positions in the Jewish temple, thoroughly know the law and traditions, but they do not help the injured Jew.
The Samaritans are heretics for the Jews, whom they considered enemies. It is no coincidence that a merciful Samaritan is cited in the parable, helping the injured Jew, since they were enemies for the Samaritans. But for Jesus, all people are God's creatures that are equal to each other. Although he did not hide his special attitude towards the Jews.
Who are the Samaritans?
In the 10th century BC, the kingdom of Israel was located on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea, which washes the southwestern part of Asia. In those days, King David ruled the country and after - his son Solomon. During their reign, the country flourished.
Solomon's son Rehoboam, who ascended the throne, was distinguished by rare cruelty and tyranny. Unable to withstand his bullying, ten tribes of Israel (12 in total) did not recognize his authority and, under the leadership of Jeroboam, an associate of King Solomon, formed the new state of Israel with the capital Samaria. By the name of the capital, the inhabitants began to be called Samaritans.
Two tribes, Benjamin and Judah, remained faithful to Rehoboam. Their state began to be called Judea. The capital of the kingdom was the city of Jerusalem. As we see, the Jews and the Samaritans are one nation. They speak the same language - Hebrew.
This is one people, divided into two parts and professing the same religion, however, with some differences. Prolonged feuds made them irreconcilable enemies. Jesus does not in vain include the merciful Samaritan in the parable. The meaning of this is that all peoples should live in peace, and especially related.
Biblical interpretation
An important point of this parable is to clarify the true meaning of the word "neighbor", which causes a misunderstanding among the scribe. He takes it literally. The neighbor is a relative, a fellow believer, a fellow tribesman. According to Jesus, the neighbor is a merciful, in our case, merciful Samaritan from the New Testament. The meaning of the parable is to make it clear that any person is neighbor - and the one who is in trouble, and the one who does good.
The Samaritan had oil and wine with him, which were used in the sacred sacrifice to the Lord. The words of Jesus are symbolic that he does not wait for sacrifice, but mercy. Processing wine and oil wounds intended for the ritual, the Samaritan symbolically brings mercy - a sacrifice to the Lord.
Interpretation of Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev)
There are many interpretations of this parable by the clergy. I would like to dwell a little on the article by Metropolitan Hilarion, “Who is my neighbor?” (Orthodoxy and peace). This is a real sermon on the merciful Samaritan. The simplicity and accessibility of the explanation of the parable is striking, its main purpose.
Metropolitan Hilarion believes that it is not for nothing that the scribe, who is well acquainted with the Law, asks the question. Knowing its contents, he himself does not understand everything in it. Not only do you know the Law, you also need to observe it. It is good to know the commandments of God, but you need to implement them. Therefore, the scribe, who does not understand the meaning, asks: "And who is the neighbor?"
It is not for nothing that the Lord cites the Samaritan as an example, knowing that the Jews abhor these people, despise, do not touch and do not talk to them. Jesus is disgusted with such an attitude towards people of another people, another faith. The meaning of the parable laid by Christ - the merciful Samaritan is much closer to the robbed and battered Jew. The Lord overcomes these kinds of barriers created by people, trying to show that everyone is equal. He wanted to draw the attention of every person to the fact that people of a different nationality or religion observe the Law, and his servants do not always fulfill it.
love thy neighbour
Many people of a different faith or those who are quite far from faith in a true God have hearts in which love of their neighbor lives. Without knowing it, they fulfill the commandments of God. It can be people of any Christian faith, Muslims, Jews, atheists.
As we see, there are many interpretations of the parable of the merciful Samaritan. This is a collective, illustrative example, teaching to live in the image of Jesus Christ, who loved all people and wished for their salvation. For their sake, he went to torment to cleanse them of sins. All, and not just followers of his own or people of a certain nationality. Do Jews reject Gentiles? Not. Remember the Crusades or modern Muslim extremism.
Is Jesus a Samaritan?
There is another interesting interpretation of the interpretation. I want to say that every person, reading the parable of the merciful Samaritan, sees the meaning in it differently. And the Lord does not give any explanations, thus calling a person to comprehend the parable.
The man who went from Jericho to Jerusalem is Adam, who represents all of humanity. Jerusalem, where he goes is the kingdom of heaven. Jericho is an earthly life full of sins, tears, and crying. The robbers who attacked the traveler are dark satanic forces. The priest and the Levite are the Old Testament, in which the priest is the Law of Moses, the Levites are the prophets.
Two doctors directed by God - the Law of Moses in the form of a priest, and the prophets in the form of a Levite, passed one by one. The law of Moses only came nearer, the prophets came and looked, but did not heal, but passed by. And then the good Samaritan appears - this is Jesus Christ, who binds the wounds, lubricating them with oil, delivers to the hotel and asks to look after the sick.
Why did the Lord call himself a Samaritan? Jesus shows us that it is not always necessary to have high ranks, positions and dignities, it is not always necessary a lot of money to do good, to be merciful. All that is needed is a good soul, a desire to help others. Well, if the Lord himself, under the guise of a Samaritan despised by Jews, acts as a savior, then why should we, mere mortals, not follow his example?
Afterword
A lot of people to the question that Levitic asked Jesus: “And who is the neighbor?”, Without hesitation, they will call relatives, co-religionists, and so on. But kinship is not only blood, but also mercy. The misfortune of one person makes him lonely, and only the mercy of another brings them forever. The blood of the brothers in most cases does not make them close, but only family. The Lord gives us an understanding of this simple truth, and not only it, but also many others.