I have always enjoyed this parable. The unlikely hero of the story stands as an impressive witness to the good that is in all people. As I tried to understand how this parable teaches us of Christ, I have wondered who he is in this parable. It seemed obvious that he was the Samaritan, but why would he refer to himself as a Samaritan. He is the only perfect being that walked the earth, He is the King of Kings and there is none greater.
As I pondered this, I thought that perhaps Christ used the Samaritan as a metaphor for how the Jews perceived him. They didn’t like the fact that he socialized with sinners. He would touch those that were unclean and heal them. He broke the Sabbath by healing and he and is disciples defile themselves by eating with unclean hands. How can this man be clean as he transgresses many of the laws?
It made the most sense, when you think who binds up our wounds and pays the price for our sins. That would be Christ.
This was finally confirmed to me one day while I was reading in John 8:48. The Pharisees where have a difficult discussion with Christ and at the end of that discussion they said “say we not well that thou art a Samaritan”. This is what they thought of him. We don’t often relate to this, but this is an insult. Christ then uses this image in the parable of the Good Samaritan to obscure his identity. His disciples would understand this and learn how the atonements heals us and prepares us for his second coming.
Two Sundays ago in church we were discussing this parable. I opened my scriptures and found this last scripture and I was prepared to explain this idea to the class. The teacher then uncovered the chalk board where he had an outline of these ideas and he referenced to an article in the Ensign where a BYU professor out lined these ideas and attributed them to the beliefs of first century Christians. (The Good Samaritan Forgotten Symbols) I had never heard this taught before and all of a sudden the idea appears to confirm my beliefs. I consider this one of Gods tender mercies. He directed me in my learning and then confirmed it through the Ensign and our Sunday school class.
He lives!
Brother B
