Good Samaritan

Sometimes knowing more about the geography or topography assumed by the biblical text can help you grasp its meaning.  Jesus starts his parable of the Good Samaritan with the statement: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho” (Luke 10:30).  You would certainly go down from Jerusalem to Jericho, descending from about 2,500 feet above sea level to about 800 feet below sea level.  In addition, the trip would not be a walk in the park.  The distance is almost 20-miles and would take you through some rugged desert country that offered plenty of hiding places for thieves.  Knowing the geography helps us understand how easy it would have been to pass by the dying man and how troublesome it would have been to be a loving neighbor.

Note again, in the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus’ original audience would have been shocked and insulted by the fact that Jesus has the two Jewish religious leaders doing nothing to help the wounded traveler, while the Samaritan proves to be the man’s neighbor (and the story’s hero).  We know this because in that culture, Jews despised Samaritans.

References:

Grasping God’s Word

J. Scott Duvall

J. Daniel Hays