What is a parable
To more accurately understand the meaning of the parable, you need to have an idea of what it is. Turning to the dictionary, we see that a parable is a short story about an everyday event, presented in an allegorical form and containing moral instruction (teaching). V. Dahl formulated this briefly: “Teaching by example” (for example, the story of the Good Samaritan). In the parable, he saw the operating principle of a parabola, focused on the main idea. Great writers and thinkers turned to this genre: Leo Tolstoy, F. Kafka, A. Camus, B. Brecht.
Basil the Great said that the parable shows the path to follow, guides a person, showing the way for a favorable course through life. Jesus answered the life questions of his followers with parables. There aren't many of them. He spoke a parable, but gave no explanation. This is not just like that, since a person must go further on his own.
Parable as a source of wisdom
The above example is enough - they are the majority. So, for example, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, a direct indication is given of how a person should act. Others begin to think and, to their surprise, see the path to the truth. The more one thinks, the clearer and more multifaceted it is. Spiritual development is underway, and a person wants to know what others think about this. There is a process of cognition and internal change in a person. It is to spiritual perfection that God calls, to the pursuit of truth and security, since “... His truth is His shield and fence” (Psalm 90).
For more than two thousand years, people have been reading the Gospel and finding in it a bright source of spiritual development. The wisdom of the Lord is realized gradually. Rereading it for the tenth time, you will, just like the first time, discover new meaning for yourself, wondering and admiring the providence of the incomprehensible power of the Holy Spirit contained in simple words.
Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
A certain man was rich, dressed in purple and fine linen, and feasted brilliantly every day. There was also a certain beggar named Lazarus, who lay at his gate covered in scabs... The beggar died and was carried by the Angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And in hell, being in torment, he raised his eyes, saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his bosom and, crying out, said: Father Abraham! have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said: child! remember that you have already received your good in your life, and Lazarus received your evil; now he is comforted here, and you suffer; and on top of all this, a great gulf has been established between us and you, so that those who want to cross from here to you cannot, nor can they cross from there to us. Then he said: So I ask you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers; let him testify to them, so that they too do not come to this place of torment. Abraham said to him: They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them. He said: no, Father Abraham, but if someone from the dead comes to them, they will repent. Then [Abraham] said to him: if they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, then even if someone were raised from the dead, they would not believe it. Luke 16:19-31
The rich man and Lazar Vasily Ivanovich Surikov. 1873 St. Petersburg. State Russian Museum
The Parable of Lazarus. Fedor Andreevich Bronnikov. 1886 Oil on canvas, 127×84.5 cm Tver Regional Art Gallery
Parable of the Samaritan
The New Testament parable of the Good Samaritan is a simple story about who to consider as your neighbor. For Jews, a Jew is a neighbor. For the Jew Jesus, his neighbors were all the people for whose sins he was crucified. His goal is to teach people to be merciful towards the suffering of another person, Jesus tells a parable, which can be briefly summarized as follows:
One Jewish scribe decided to test Jesus by asking him how one could enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus asked him: “What is written in the law about this?” The scribe who knows him well replies: “Love the blessed God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus' answer was that you must observe this, then you will have the kingdom of heaven. The scribe asked: “Who is your neighbor?” Jesus' answer was the parable of the Good Samaritan. Let's give it briefly.
On the way from Jerusalem to Jericho there was one simple man, a Jew. On the way, robbers attacked him, beat him, took all his things and ran away, leaving him lying on the ground. A Jewish priest passed by, who, seeing him, went on his way further. The man continued to lie on the ground when a Levite (servant of the Jewish temple) passed by. He also passed by without taking part.
A Samaritan passing by did not remain indifferent, took pity on the Jew, washed his wounds with wine and anointed them with oil. Putting him on his donkey, the Good Samaritan took the victim to a hotel, where he took care of him. The next day, when leaving, he gave the owner two denarii, ordering him to continue to treat and feed the man, and if there was not enough money, he promised to pay him extra on the way back.
Having finished the parable, Jesus turned to the questioner: “Who does he think is his neighbor?” To which he replied: “The one who showed mercy.” To this Jesus advised him to go and do the same.
Orthodox Life
Sermon by Bishop Sylvester (Stoichev) on the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost.
The word neighbor is one of the most used in our church vocabulary. Almost every day we say it either in prayers, or reading the instructions of the holy fathers, or simply in an edifying conversation. How can I determine who my neighbor is? Today's Gospel reading contains the parable of our Lord Jesus Christ about the Good Samaritan. The parable itself was spoken by the Savior in response to a question from a certain lawyer who approached the Lord with questions. Legalists were a special group in ancient Israel who focused on the study of the Old Testament, its rewriting and interpretation.
As often happens, the lawyers, Pharisees and scribes questioned Christ insincerely. And in this case, the Evangelist Luke clarifies that the lawyer approached the Lord, “tempting Him” (Luke 10:25). How did the lawyer want to tempt Jesus Christ? The lawyer, as an expert in Scripture, thought that Christ would say something to him and that what he said would contradict the Law. Then the lawyer will, of course, say: You said this, but the law says it differently, and thereby would put Christ in an awkward position. However, the Lord Jesus Christ, as a knower of the heart, of course, knows the intention of this person. And when the lawyer asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25) Christ points out to him that the answer is contained in the Law. Of which, of course, the specialist in the Law was well aware.
Of course, the lawyer is forced to quote the text to which Jesus Christ indirectly points him. If he were to say that he did not understand what text he was talking about, or did not know where it was, he would thereby show that he did not know the Holy Scriptures well. And no lawyer would ever allow himself to do this in front of witnesses, because it would immediately undermine his authority as an expert in Scripture and a teacher of wisdom. And the lawyer says: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself” (Luke 10:27). The Lord answers him: “You answered correctly; do this” (Luke 10:28). But the lawyer himself finds himself in an awkward situation. He is an expert and interpreter of the Law and asks Christ about what he should already know; and in order to smooth out his awkward situation, he decides to come forward with a question. He asks the Savior: “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). In response to this question, the Lord tells him the parable of the Good Samaritan.
This parable itself differs from other gospel parables, first of all, in its realism. And it’s more like a story from life. So, the Lord tells a situation when, on the way from Jerusalem to Jericho, a certain man, obviously a Jew, was robbed and severely beaten by robbers. In ancient times, this path itself was indeed considered extremely dangerous, and the listeners of the parable were well aware of the obstacles encountered by those walking this dangerous road.
Beaten, robbed, wounded, abandoned on the road, a person finds himself on the verge of death.
And so the priest walked along the same road where the crime took place, and then the Levite. Each of them served at the temple. Let me remind you that only direct descendants of Aaron could be priests in Israel. The Levites came from the tribe of Levi, and also performed duties at the temple, but rather of an auxiliary nature.
And these two servants of God, seeing their fellow tribesman beaten, pass by. There is no clarification as to why they did not help their fellow man. Ancient and modern interpreters have given many different motives for their ignoble act. Perhaps they were afraid that the robbers were somewhere nearby and could also rob and beat them. Perhaps they did not want to carry the burden of the old one. Perhaps they were afraid that he had already died, or would die on the way, and they, as priests, according to Jewish law, should not touch the dead, since this would be considered desecration, after which they would not be able to perform their duties for some time. There are different “perhaps,” but it is not for nothing that the Gospel does not mention the motives for such an act, because it does not matter what the motive of the priest and the Levite was. All that matters is what they did. Or rather, they didn’t. They showed no mercy.
And then a Samaritan walks along the same road, who, seeing a man abandoned on the road, helps him. In the parable, this particular feature is of great importance - the Samaritan shows mercy. The Samaritans are a separated part of the Jewish people due to certain historical events, who created their own unique religion, built their own temple, and have their own cult. Pious Jews viewed the Samaritans as renegades, as unworthy people. And as the Gospel points out, “Jews do not communicate with Samaritans” (John 4.9). We will not go into the details of Samaritan-Jewish relations, we will only point out that for a Jew everything connected with the Samaritans is desecration and humiliation. But it is the Samaritan who does what the Law of God ascribes to. It is his act that is pleasing to God.
What is the meaning of this parable? In patristic writing one can find many examples of the so-called allegorical interpretation of this parable. However, I would still like to focus on the fact that this parable was told in response to the lawyer’s question, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10.29) and is a text of moral content. A text indicating a correct understanding of the foundations of moral life. St. Maxim the Confessor says: “God’s mercy towards us is hidden in our compassion for our neighbors.” Thus, our relationships with people contain our hope of salvation by the grace of God. Asking the question, “Who is my neighbor?” The lawyer expected to hear a typical Jewish answer: the one who is of the same people with you. Or: someone who shares the same faith with you. Or: someone who is from the same family with you, your family and your friends. But in response, he hears a parable that ends with a question addressed to himself: “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the one who fell among the robbers?” (Luke 10:36).
Let us think again about this question the Lord asked the lawyer. At the very beginning of their dialogue, the lawyer asks Christ: who is my neighbor, and at the end, Christ, by asking the question, shows: do not think who is your neighbor, but think how you can become someone’s neighbor. There is no need to focus on thinking - who is my neighbor, who is my friend - but build your life in such a way as to ask yourself: what have I done for someone to be their neighbor and friend? Human nature is such that we are always more accustomed to taking than giving. They owe us, they owe us. But Christ’s teaching radically turns us around and commands us: live in such a way as to be a neighbor, a brother, a friend to others.
Probably, that Jew, robbed and abandoned on the road, shared the views of his fellow tribesmen on the Samaritans, but found himself in a situation that, of course, would change his attitude towards many things, including the Samaritans. That is why the Lord says to the lawyer: which of the three is the neighbor of this beaten and abandoned one? Of course, only one answer is possible: a Samaritan, because he acted as one does towards loved ones. And from now on, for the robbed Jew, this Samaritan becomes a close person.
Let us pay attention, brothers and sisters, to the lawyer’s answer. Of course, the lawyer understood both the meaning of the parable and the meaning of the question: “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the robber who fell?” (Luke 10:25).
But the hypocrisy of the lawyers and Pharisees is incapable of accepting Christian teaching, because it is necessary to turn oneself completely over. They didn't want this. This can be seen from a seemingly insignificant detail. To the Lord’s question, it would be more logical to answer briefly: Samaritan.
But to say that a Samaritan is a neighbor is unacceptable for a lawyer. This is unbearable for him, and he dodges and says: “he who showed him mercy” (Luke 10:37). Which is essentially true, but hypocrisy does not allow us to say that it is the Samaritan who has shown mercy.
Brothers and sisters, you and I live in different times, in a different culture, but we also have our own legalism. And their Samaritans. And the question: who is my neighbor can be heard in the church environment very, very often. Therefore, the parable of the Good Samaritan is a parable for us. A reminder to us Christians that we should not divide people into neighbors or not neighbors, but we need to worry about how to make people perceive us as their neighbors. St. Isidore Pelusiot instructs: “Honor your neighbors first of all to those who are in need, and go to his aid without being called.” This is achieved only through kindness, mercy, compassion or even ordinary humanity. If I am kind and merciful, then a person, even if he does not accept my faith, my views, still seeing my kind attitude towards himself, will begin to perceive me as his neighbor. A Christian should not ask: who is my neighbor? A Christian should live in such a way that he is perceived as his neighbor. Amen!
Clarifications
The events described in this parable took place more than two thousand years ago. To understand them, some clarification is necessary. First of all, the priest and the Levite are ministers in the Jewish temple. There is a tradition (Law) that prescribes that all Jews are considered close people, obligated to help each other. The priest and the Levite are people who occupy certain positions in the Jewish temple, who 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 the parable shows the merciful Samaritan helping the injured Jew, since they were also enemies for the Samaritans. But for Jesus, all people are creatures of God who are equal to each other. Although he did not hide his special attitude towards the Jews.
Who are the Samaritans?
In the 10th century before the birth of Christ, the kingdom of Israel was located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, which washes the southwestern part of Asia. In those days, the country was ruled by King David and after by his son Solomon. During their reign the country prospered.
The son of Solomon, Rehoboam, who ascended the throne, was distinguished by rare cruelty and tyranny. Unable to withstand his bullying, the ten tribes of Israel (12 in total) did not recognize his power and, under the leadership of Jeroboam, an ally of King Solomon, formed a new state of Israel with its capital Samaria. Based on the name of the capital, the inhabitants began to be called Samaritans.
Two tribes, Benjamin and Judah, remained loyal to Rehoboam. Their state became known as Judea. The capital of the kingdom became the city of Jerusalem. As we see, Jews and Samaritans are one nation. They speak the same language - Hebrew.
This is one people, divided into two parts and professing one religion, albeit with some differences. Long-term enmity made them irreconcilable enemies. It is not for nothing that Jesus includes the Good Samaritan in the parable. The meaning of this is that all peoples should live in peace, and especially related ones.
Biblical interpretation
An important point in this parable is to clarify the true meaning of the word “neighbor,” which causes misunderstanding among the scribe. He interprets it literally. A neighbor is a relative, a fellow believer, a fellow tribesman. According to Jesus, a neighbor is a doer of mercy, in our case the Good Samaritan from the New Testament. The point of the parable is to make it clear that every person is a neighbor - both the one who is in trouble and the one who does good.
The Samaritan had with him oil and wine, which were used in the sacred sacrifice to the Lord. Jesus’ words are symbolic that he is not waiting for sacrifice, but for mercy. By treating the wounds intended for the ritual with wine and oil, the Samaritan symbolically brings mercy - a sacrifice to the Lord.
Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican
The text of the parable is given only in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 18:9-14).
9 He also spoke to some who were confident in themselves that they were righteous, and disparaged others, the following parable: 10 Two men entered the temple to pray: one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: God! I thank You that I am not like other people, robbers, offenders, adulterers, or like this publican: 12 I fast twice a week, I give a tenth of everything I get. 13 But the publican, standing afar off, did not even dare to raise his eyes to heaven; but, striking himself on the chest, he said: God! be merciful to me, a sinner! 14 I tell you that this one went to his house justified more than the other: for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. Pharisee and publican. Valerian Kryukov https://john-petrov.livejournal.com/143793.html?thread=627889
Interpretation of Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev)
There are many interpretations of this parable by clergy. I would like to dwell a little on Metropolitan Hilarion’s article “Who is my neighbor?” (Orthodoxy and Peace). This is a real sermon about the Good Samaritan. The simplicity and accessibility of the explanation of the parable, its main goal, is striking.
Metropolitan Hilarion believes that it is not in vain that the question is asked by a scribe who is well acquainted with the Law. Knowing its contents, he himself does not understand everything in it. Not only do you know the Law, you also need to obey it. It’s good to know God’s commandments, but you need to put them into practice. Therefore, the scribe, who does not understand the meaning, asks: “Who is your neighbor?”
It is not for nothing that the Lord cites the Samaritan as an example, knowing that the Jews abhor these people, despise them, do not touch or talk to them. Jesus is disgusted by this attitude towards people of another nation, of another faith. The meaning of the parable laid down by Christ is that the merciful Samaritan is much closer to the robbed and beaten 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 other nationalities or religions observe the Law, but its ministers do not always fulfill it.
love thy neighbour
Many people of other faiths or those who are quite far from believing in the true God have hearts in which love for their neighbor lives. Without knowing it themselves, they fulfill God's commandments. These can be people of any Christian faith, Muslims, Jews, atheists.
As we see, there are many interpretations of the parable of the Good Samaritan. This is a collective, clear example that teaches us to live in the likeness of Jesus Christ, who loved all people and desired their salvation. For their sake, he went to torment to cleanse them of their sins. Everyone, and not just followers of their own or people of a certain nationality. Is it only Jews who reject Gentiles? No. Think of the Crusades or modern Muslim extremism.
Who is my "neighbor"
The parable of the Merciful Samaritan is often called the Little Gospel by the Holy Fathers. In it, Christ revealed the example of love and mercy that each Christian should show to his neighbors. But who is that very neighbor?
For many, this question, which the lawyer asked Christ, remains not completely clear. The first thing that comes to mind is a neighbor - a relative, friend, colleague... But certainly not a grumpy neighbor, an evil boss or a long-time offender.
In Christ’s parable, a person who was completely distant in religious and life beliefs became a neighbor. But it was he, a pagan and a sinner, with whom a Jew should not even speak, who showed him mercy. And through this act of love and mercy he became the closest person to the Jew.
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, in response to the question who is my neighbor, succinctly answers: “Everyone!”
If we want to live according to the commandments of Christ, then any person on our path - be it an old comrade or a random passer-by, a faithful friend or even an enemy - must be for us someone to whom we are ready at any moment to provide help and show mercy.
“Forget yourself and your “I”, put at the center of your life the person who needs your help, whether material or spiritual. Place at the center of life the one who needs a neighbor, and become him” (Archimandrite John Krestyankin).
Is Jesus a Samaritan?
There is another interesting interpretation. I would like to say that each person, reading the parable of the Good Samaritan, sees the meaning in it differently. But the Lord does not give any explanations, thereby calling people to understand the parable.
The man who walked from Jericho to Jerusalem is Adam, who represents all of humanity. Jerusalem, where he is going, is the kingdom of heaven. Jericho is 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 Levite is the prophets.
Two doctors sent by God - the Law of Moses in the form of a priest, and the prophets in the form of a Levite - passed by one after another. The Law of Moses only came closer, the prophets came and looked, but did not begin to heal, but passed by. And then a good Samaritan appears - this is Jesus Christ, who binds the wounds, lubricates them with oil, takes them to the hotel and asks to look after the sick person.
Why did the Lord call himself a Samaritan? Jesus shows us that you don’t always need to have high titles, positions and dignity, you don’t always need a lot of money to do good, to be merciful. All you need is a kind soul and a desire to help others. Well, if the Lord himself, under the guise of a Samaritan despised by the Jews, acts as a savior, then why don’t we, mere mortals, follow his example?
Good Samaritan: interpretation of the parable
Like all of Christ's parables, the story of the Good Samaritan is deeply symbolic. The Holy Fathers, who were able to penetrate into the depths of the Gospel words, see the following images in the parable of the Good Samaritan.
The man who fell into the hands of robbers is Adam, and with him all fallen humanity. Having violated God's command and tasted the forbidden fruit, Adam was forced to leave Paradise (in the parable - Jerusalem) and go into exile. That is, to set out on the road to Jericho, where sorrow and suffering await him.
On the path chosen by a person to move away from God and holiness, he is constantly met by robber demons. They wound the soul with sinful passions and habits, deprive them of Divine grace, and steal the possibility of salvation.
The priest and Levite who did not help the wounded man are the Old Testament Church. Even the complete fulfillment of the Jewish Law could not completely heal the human soul from eternal destruction.
And the Good Samaritan is none other than Jesus Christ Himself. He compares Himself in the parable with a pagan Samaritan, thereby identifying Himself with all sinful humanity.
“He portrays Himself under the guise of a Samaritan, out of infinite humility, in order to teach us in this way that even under the most despicable name and title we can do great good / The Lord calls Himself a Samaritan and out of love for sinners” (St. Nicholas (Velimirovich).
Christ came to earth to bear the sins of the world and open people's entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven. He sets an example of the highest mercy when mercy is shown to someone who seems to be an enemy. Christ turns people's consciousness upside down, showing the image of true Love.
“The Lord shows us the fullness of mercy - something that surpasses all human understanding. And all people should learn such mercy” (Archpriest Alexander Shargunov).
The hotel to which the Good Samaritan took the wounded man is the Church of Christ, our hospital for sinful wounds and passions. In it, Christ, caring for us, left two denarii to the owner of the inn - the shepherds and priests. These coins symbolize the Body and Blood of Christ in the Sacrament of Communion.
