Prayer and Bible Band

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Background Reading:  

Leviticus 19:18; Proverbs 14:20; Matthew 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 6:27; 10:29-37; Romans 12:10; Galatians 5:14

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Devotional Reading:

​John 4:5-29

 

​Central Verse

“And he must needs go through Samaria.” John 4:4, KJV

“He had to go through Samaria on the way.” John 4:4, NLT

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Key Terms

Mixed Breed—Made up of or involving individuals or items of more than one kind: made
up of or involving persons differing in race, national origin, religion, or class.

Samaritan—A native or inhabitant of Samaria: a person who is generous in helping
those in distress.

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Introduction

A Good Samaritan is one who voluntarily renders aid to another in distress although under no duty to do so. He is a person who has compassion, concern and is willing to do something about situations that is not their obligation. He is a person who will go out of his way to help someone in need, he will use his gifts, influence, and resources to help someone who needs help.

He Is what the world calls a “good neighbor.” Jesus expects every believer to be a good neighbor. He is the perfect example for believers to follow. He showed Himself to be a good neighbor, a friend and certainly a good Samaritan. The world would be a much better place to live in if it had more “Good Samaritans” walking around. Jesus emphasized that the greatest commandment was that believers love one another, do good to those who have not done good to them. Love those who have not shown you any love. It’s up to each believer to be an example of love to everyone he meets for it’s with love and kindness that the believe, can draw others.

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Discussion

Jesus was an exceptionally good teacher of everything that He taught His disciples about. He and His disciples were walking along together as they normally did when He told them that He needed to go to Samaria. Samaria was not a city that many Jews took time to go through. Normally they detoured around the city because the Jews and the Samaritans were not on good speaking terms.

The Samaritans were a group of people in the Bible who were mixed, half-Jews and half-Gentiles. They were the survivors of the Assyrians conquest and Babylonia. They survived through the time of Jesus until this present day. The Northern kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians who took many of the people of Israel as captives. But some stayed and intermarried with foreigners who was left there by the Assyrians.

According to Webster’s Dictionary the Samaritan were first mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Ezra and Nehemiah in the 5" Century B.C. At that point, Babylon had given way to the Persian Empire. Nehemiah, a Jew, gained favor with the King and was able to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. However, the Samaritans remained in the land, opposed the rebuilding efforts, and caused problems for Nehemiah and his fellow workers (Nehemiah 6:1-14).

 

This was the beginning of the long-lasting hatred between the Jews and the Samaritans. There are many church members today who do not believe that different races of people ought to marry. They do like the people who lived on this earth during Jesus’ time, they discriminate against those who are not of their race. But as many as are led by God, they are the Sons of God.

The parable of the Good Samaritan has many lessons that the believer can learn some positive things from. A Samaritan was traveling by and saw the man who was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho, who had been attacked by robbers, stripped of his clothes, beat, and left for dead. A Priest saw him but passed by him on the other side, a Levite saw him, but he too passed by on the other side. But the Samaritan stopped, took pity on him, bandaged up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine. He put the man on his donkey and took him to an Inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave it to the Innkeeper and told him to look after him, and when he returned that he would reimburse him of any extra expenses that he may incur (Luke 10:30-35).

Jesus asked the question, which one was the neighbor? The man answered Jesus that the one who stopped and showed mercy. Jesus told him to do likewise. The word of the Lord says that if you see your brother in need and have this world’s good and shut up your bowels of compassion, how dwells the love of God (1 John 3:17). Anyone who does the will of God can be your neighbor, for a neighbor is a person who lives next door or near to a person referred to. He can live away from you a great distance, but if he’s there for you in your time of need, he can be your neighbor.

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​Conclusion

What can the believer learn from the story of the Good Samaritan? The fact that God so loved the entire world that He sent Jesus to die for all who would receive Him. This lesson lets the believers know that God is of no respecter of persons, and they can see that Jesus cared about people of mixed blood. He loved those who were hated by others. This lesson lets the believers know that God is the God of all flesh, and He does not exclude any race of people for He is not influenced by the opinions of others. The believer must try to be like Jesus and remember that from one blood, God made all nations and His loves reaches all people. Others may criticize your actions and love toward others who are not just like you, but it is the believer’s responsibility to show love
to everyone, just as Jesus showed love to the woman at the well.

The woman that Jesus met at the well, was an outcast to some people, but Jesus saw here as a neighbor. He said that he had a need to go through Samaria, but what He really was doing was going to see about the woman’s need. Sometimes believers must go out of their way to meet the needs of someone else and become that good Samaritan. In the long run, he becomes the winner.

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​Questions

1. Why did Jesus tell the story of the “Good Samaritan”?

2. How can this story help you as an individual?

3. Why was there so much hatred between the Jews and the Samaritans?

4. What can you do to help the race situation?

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​Essential Thought

When you meet the needs of others; you really meet a need of your own.