Family Home Evening Lesson 22 Jan 07

Parable of the Good Samaritan

Note: We did this lesson before the February 2007 Ensign came out--there is a great article that is much better than our lesson on this very subject.

The incident begins when a religious scholar of the Law tests Jesus by asking him what is necessary to inherit eternal life. Jesus asks the lawyer what the Mosaic Law says about it. When the lawyer quotes the scripture, saying "Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and all your mind (Deuteronomy 6:5), and the parallel law of "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18), Jesus says that he has answered correctly— "Do this and you will live," he tells him.

But the lawyer then asks Jesus to tell him who his neighbor is, Jesus responds with a parable about a man who was attacked and robbed and left to die by the side of a road. Later, a priest saw the stricken figure and avoided him, presumably in order to maintain ritual purity. Similarly, a Levite saw the man and ignored him as well. Then a Samaritan passed by, and, despite the mutual antipathy between Samaritans and the Jewish population, he immediately rendered assistance by giving him first aid and taking him to an inn to recover while promising to cover the expenses. He gives the innkeeper two denarii, silver coins equal to an entire days wages for an average laborer.

I. Travel of the Samaritan:

From Jerusalem to Jericho From Pre-existence to Earth

Fell among thieves From God to mortal man

Stripped and wounded him Challenges of life

Left him half-dead Where is hope?

II. Those Who Could Help

Priest—passed on the other side of the road Represents Ministering of men
alone— cannot fully save because we are imperfect

Levite—also passed by Represents the Law—Law alone
cannot save because we can’t fully follow it without messing up here and there imperfect

Samaritan—Compassion Represents Christ—the only one who
can really save us

III. Samaritan’s Actions

Bound up his wounds My Peace I give you...

Oil and wine Sacrament

Took him to the Inn, cared for him Church, Scriptures, Examples, Profit on Earth

Paid and said I will come and pay more Atonement

Asks: Who was neighbor unto the man? Christ