Lutheran Lens Commentary: Luke 10:25-37 (The Good Samaritan)

Lutheran Lens Reading of Luke 10:25-37 (The Good Samaritan)

Tradition-Specific Interpretation

We read this passage as a profound illustration of the Law and Gospel distinction. The parable of the Good Samaritan reveals the depth of the Law's demands — it shows our inability to fulfill God's command to love our neighbor perfectly, exposing our sin and the old Adam within us. Yet, in the figure of the Samaritan, we see a Christological image of grace — Christ comes to us in our helpless state, binding our wounds with the means of grace and promising eternal life. This passage challenges us to see both the impossibility of self-justification and the boundless mercy of Christ, who fulfills the Law on our behalf.

Key Language Decisions

The Greek word for 'compassion' (σπλαγχνίζομαι) used to describe the Samaritan's response is significant. It reveals a deep, visceral mercy that aligns with how Christ is moved with compassion for sinners. The semantic range of 'neighbor' (πλησίον) expands our understanding of who is included in the command to love, emphasizing that God's Law demands perfect love for all, including those we might naturally despise. Our tradition highlights these terms to underscore the Law's impossibility and the Gospel's radical inclusivity.

Where Traditions Diverge

Unlike some Reformed interpretations that may read the Good Samaritan as primarily a moral exemplar, we emphasize the Christological reading where the Samaritan prefigures Christ. This differs from a moralistic reading found in some evangelical traditions, which may focus on the imperative to be like the Samaritan. For us, the emphasis is on the Gospel promise and Christ as the one who fulfills the Law for us, highlighting our inability and Christ's sufficiency.

Pastoral Application

In preaching this passage, we must first allow the Law to do its work — exposing our failure to love perfectly and our desperate need for a Savior. Then, we proclaim the Gospel: Christ is the true Good Samaritan who finds us in our brokenness, binds our wounds, and pays the ultimate cost for our healing. A Lutheran Lens congregation would expect to hear that their hope is not in their ability to fulfill the Law but in Christ's completed work on their behalf. The call to love our neighbor flows from our baptismal identity, not as a means to justify ourselves but as a response to the grace we have already received.

Cross-References: Matthew 5:17-20; Romans 3:19-24; Galatians 3:23-25; Ephesians 2:8-10; James 2:10-13

Doctrinal Connections: Law and Gospel; simul justus et peccator; theology of the cross; justification by faith alone; vocation