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Commentary: The Good Israeli Settler: Luke 10: 30-36

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Scenic Overlook by Ori/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

The Good Israeli Settler is based on Luke 10:30-36

Two Messages?

The parable of the Good Samaritan is frequently retold, mainly because only one of its two messages is popular today. Certainly, the UK pop culture understanding of the word ‘Samaritan’ is that it means ‘someone who helps people in need.’

It’s not a bad understanding to have – that The Good Samaritan tells us, ‘everyone in need is my neighbour.’ But it does skip over the Samaritan being from a hated group of people; that the Samaritan was the person your culture insists you’re supposed to hate.

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The Good Israeli Settler: Luke 10: 30-36

by Leave a Comment

Scenic Overlook by Ori/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

The Good Israeli Settler is based on Luke 10:30-36

There was some one travelling down Highway 1 to Jericho, who got robbed. Thieves stole their motorbike, beat them up and even took their clothes. They ended up left for dead by the side of the highway.

A member of the Palestinian Authority was travelling back to Jericho and he saw them. But he didn’t tell his driver to stop; instead, he passed by.

Likewise, someone working for an NGO also saw them lying by the road, but he didn’t stop either. He just speeded up and passed on.

Finally, an Israeli settler came by, on leave from his service in the IDF. When he saw the body, lying by the side of the road, he felt sorry for them. So he stopped by the side of the body. When he found that the person was still alive, he bandaged up the wounds, using his own first aid kit to do it. Then, realising it’d be quicker, he put them in his car and drove them to the hospital in Ein Kerem.

When he reached the Emergency Room, he gave the hospital his credit card details. “Any problems with payment, just contact me,” he said. “I’ll cover any treatment he needs.”

Previous Parable: The Shrewd Lettings Agent (Luke 16: 1-9)

Next Parable: The Friend at Midnight (Luke 11: 5-8)