Three illustrations Jesus used are the foundation of this lesson. The illustrations are parables. Jesus used each to illustrate the importance of the way we treat others. It is impossible to grow in godly character and integrity and have little concern for other people. Jesus teaches his disciples to demonstrate compassionate concern for others. Jesus can teach a person godly character and integrity only if that person allows Jesus to teach him or her how to treat others.
The key to this lesson is found in the student's attitude. When a person's focus is on a defense of his or her past actions, positions, or attitudes, he or she will seek self-justification rather than compassion. When a person wants to understand even if it means redirecting thinking and concepts, compassion likely will assume new dimensions in godly character and integrity.
Illustration # 1: The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
The parable: a Jew walking from Jerusalem to Jericho was robbed and beaten by thieves who left him to die. A priest and a Levite, Jewish religious leaders, by chance saw him after the robbery, but each ignored him and his condition. A Samaritan by chance saw the man, felt for him, treated his wounds, and took him to a place of assistance. He cared for the injured Jew the rest of that day, and paid someone to provide continuing care when he left.
The first key to understanding the good Samaritan parable is a clear understanding of the contempt Jews and Samaritans had for each other. Unless a person understands that contempt, he or she will not receive the full impact of the parable. Examine Ezra 4:3-6, John 4:9, and John 8:48. This mutual contempt existed for a long time. Some conclude the Ezra incident was the origin of the Jew/Samaritan contempt; some conclude the Samaritans of the New Testament have no roots in recorded Old Testament incidents. Regardless of one's view, the contempt was real and longstanding.
Jesus gave this illustration to answer this question: "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus agreed that the one who showed mercy was the man's neighbor.
Please make certain students make a connection between this question and the second greatest command. The situation in verses 25-29 make the connection obvious. Make certain students realize the lawyer was seeking to justify himself.
The identity of New Testament Samaritans is debated. If the New Testament Samaritans were descendants of the marriages formed between (a) the Jews left behind in the ten tribes' territory when the Assyrian captivity occurred and (b) the replacement people the king of Assyria sent to occupy the ten tribes' territory, this mutual contempt existed for centuries. If Ezra 4 is the origin of the contempt, the contempt was created when Jews returning from Babylonian exile excluded the Samaritan's help in reconstruction of the temple.
In the New Testament, Jews did not eat or drink from dishes used by Samaritans (John 4:9). Taking food or drink from a Samaritan dish would religiously defile the Jew. For Jesus to drink from a cup handed to him by a Samaritan [from the Samaritan woman's understanding] would make him religiously unclean. Jesus' request for a drink from her was truly confusing to her.
Ordinarily, a Jew would not show concern for a Samaritan. Samaritans were inferior even though they accepted the Mosaic law and shared numerous common beliefs with Jews.
Ordinarily, a Samaritan would not show concern for a Jew. Even today, people feel contempt toward those who reject them as inferiors.
Were the situation reversed, the Jew likely would pass an injured Samaritan without stopping. The Samaritan was aware of this likelihood.
Jesus' point was this: your neighbor is the person who needs your help. Loving your neighbor includes showing kindness to people in need. Note Jesus' instruction, "Go and do the same."
Loving our neighbor as ourselves must include compassionately helping the distressed and troubled.
Illustration # 2: The Ungrateful Slave (Matthew 18:21-35)
The key understanding in approaching this parable: the slave called to give the king an account of his indebtedness owed an incredible, unpayable debt.
The parable: a king decided to eliminate his "bad debt" accounts. One bad debt involved a slave who owed the king an impossible sum of money. The king decided to sell the slave, his family, and everything the slave owned. The sum received from that sale would be applied toward the debt. The slave pled with the king for patience and promised the king the impossible--complete repayment. The king was moved by the slave's plea and canceled the debt.
The king was motivated by compassion for the slave and his family, not the merit of the slave's proposal.
Later the same slave met a fellow slave who owed him a hundred day's wages. He violently demanded repayment. He was unmoved when his fellow slave pled for patience and promised to repay debt. He had his fellow slave jailed until full repayment was made.
The incredible mercy the slave received from the king did not influence his attitude toward fellow slaves.
The slave's actions were reported to the king. His lack of mercy angered the king so much that the king reinstated the slave's debt. The king gave this wicked slave to torturers to be tortured until the impossible debt was repaid.
The forgiven slave's attitude toward a slave indebted to him ultimately determined the King's attitude toward the forgiven slave.
"So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each one of you does not forgive his brother from his heart."
The parable made clear God's attitude toward the person who refused to forgive others.
The debt was enormous. It was much too huge for a slave to repay. The king responded with compassion.
He treated his fellow slave with strict justice, with little or no concern for the man or his family.
Mercy received should result in mercy extended.
It made the king angry.
The king reinstated the full debt, had the slave imprisoned [rather than sold], and had the slave tortured until full repayment was made. Since the debt was too huge to be repaid, the slave endured severe pain on a continuing basis.
Receiving God's mercy requires the recipient to extend his or her human mercy to others. Remember, mercy is never deserved, never merited.
Illustration # 3: Jesus' description of the final judgment (Matthew 25:31-46)
The parable: the Son of Man returned to earth with his angels to pass judgment on the nations. People were separated into two groups to the right and left of his throne. Those on the right were invited to accept an inheritance planned from the world's foundation. They helped the Son of Man when He was hungry, thirsty, without a place to stay, without sufficient clothes, sick, and in prison. Shocked, they replied they did not recall helping Him. He stated when they helped the least they helped Him.
Be aware of this fact: they were surprised. Their primary motivation came from their desire to help those in need.
Those on the left were condemned to join the devil and his angels in an eternal fire. They were condemned because they failed to help Him in the same circumstances. They declared their condemnation was unjust because they had not seen Him in such circumstances. He replied that their failure to help the least was a failure to help him.
Continue to be aware of this fact: they also were surprised. They were unconcerned about helping those in need.
He will gather all nations before his throne and separate people into two groups.
He said to those on the right, "Come you who are blessed of My father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." [Note they received an inheritance and this inheritance existed at the foundation of the world. Their reward was not an "afterthought" of God.] Those who received the inheritance were astounded--they had no awareness that they ministered to Jesus' needs.
He said to those on the left, "Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels." [Note their rejection was not based on what people consider to be horrible expressions of evil. To God, people's unconcern for the needs and suffering of people is great evil.] Those who were rejected were astounded--they had no awareness of neglecting Jesus' when he was in need.
Because God classifies people's unconcern for people in need as a great evil, our treatment of others will have a powerful, primary impact on our acceptance or rejection in judgment.
Allow your class to express their understandings. Emphasize the fact that our struggle to define "the least" is a personal realization and will be a continual struggle throughout life.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 8