Episode 084 – Parable of the Good Samaritan Pt 1: It’s a Bad Question
Key Passage(s): Luke 10:25-28
When someone wants to encourage others to ask questions, they will often say, “There are no stupid questions.” But those who’ve been asked too many stupid questions will invariably reply, “Sure, there are no stupid questions – just stupid people who ask them.” It’s their way of humorously (or not so humorously) stating that there are clearly good questions and there are bad questions. In Luke 10, Jesus is asked by an expert, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” It’s a bad question, but not for the reasons you may think. The underlying factors betray his question, and he’s seeking a bare minimum approach to obedience to God. The problem is, many of us do the same thing, but unlike the expert, we may have no clue we’re doing it. If we don’t address it, we’re going to miss the way of Jesus and fail to live the life Jesus is calling us to live right now.
Discussion Questions
- What was your biggest takeaway from the Parable of the Good Samaritan teaching?
- What new connections did you make based on the content of this teaching?
- How have you traditionally understood Jesus’s interaction with the expert here in Luke 10?
- In what areas of your life do you feel like you’ve been seeking the “minimum requirement?”
- What are some better questions you need to be asking going forward?
- Where have you been too “eternal life after death” focused, rather than being “eternal life begins now” focused? Why do you think that is? How would life look different for you if it were more focused on the now?
- How will you begin living out the truths of this teaching this week?
For Further Study
- Stories With Intent by Klyne Snodgrass – Pages 338-362
- Short Stories By Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine – Chapter 2
- Poet & Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes (Combined Ed.) by Kenneth E. Bailey – Chapter 3 (in Through Peasant Eyes) addresses this parable.
- The Parables by Brad Young – Chapter 5
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Once again, the importance of knowing the context! Thank for the time you put into laying the contextual foundation for the teaching. It is a game changer. This adds such a deeper layer of understanding to enrich our learning to what Jesus was teaching. I remember you teaching us on our Isreal trip the importance of asking better questions. This introduction to the “Good Samaritan” parable was a great reminder. Looking forward to where this leads in the coming weeks. Thank you again for the care you place into the ” Teaching Series”.
Andrea, thank you for your kind comments. We work hard to present solid, compelling, and helpful content each episode, and it’s such a joy to know it’s benefitting people like you in a powerful way.
Wow! The linguistics are huge! Thank you so much for teaching us more depth from the Greek and from verb tenses. And also for teaching us what Luke, himself, intends his words to convey. Things we would not readily see on our own.
You are so welcome, Janet. This is one of the main reasons why we do this Teaching Series.
First: “Thank you Father, for a peek into the riches you have packed into just a few verses in your Holy Word for your hungry, needy saints.”
Second: Thanks again, Brad! Looking forward to more!
Great to hear, Richard. Thank you.
So full TORAH is the bare minimum that WE DO IN OUR LIMITED FLESH TILL HE RETURNS?
It gives direction for how we live for the benefit of others and we get the “pressed down and running over” full life!
No, that wasn’t what I was getting at with Torah. I was addressing more of the idea that so many of us can get caught up in thinking there is a baseline obedience that we need to obtain (Torah or not), and once we’ve done so, we can move on with life in any way we want. Jesus did not call us to a life of minimums, but to a life that sees obedience as the portal to the fullness of life and joy. Jesus is not trying to rob us of our joy. He’s trying to give us the fullest life possible.
Walking the text out daily to achieve the restoration of all things and bring back Shalom! Awesome episode Brad!