Superbook

Lesson:

You should love your neighbor as yourself -- and all people are our neighbors.

Extras

• Character Profiles

  • Scribe

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    Scribe

    

    The scribe was an expert in the Law of Moses. He came to Jesus and asked questions to test Him. He hoped that Jesus would justify or validate his attitude and actions toward others he didn't consider to be his neighbors. Through Jesus' parable, the scribe was shocked to learn that everyone was his neighbor, even his enemies - the Samaritans! Jesus told the scribe to go and show mercy to others.

    • Bible References

      • Luke 10:36
      • Luke 10:36
      • Luke 10:37

  • Samaritans

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    Samaritans

    

    The Samaritans are an ethno-religious group of the Holy Land, descended from ancient Semitic inhabitants of the region. The Samaritans follow Samaritanism, an Abrahamic religion, most closely related to Judaism.

    • Bible References

      • Luke 10:34
      • Deuteronomy 11:29
      • Joshua 8:33
      • John 4:20
      • John 4:9

  • Jesus

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    Jesus

    

    Jesus is revealed in the Bible as the Son of God. He was first given this title by Gabriel, who spoke to Mary, saying: “So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). After Jesus was baptized by John, God said, “This is my dearly beloved Son, who brings me great joy." As the Son of God, Jesus was all powerful on earth. He healed the sick, cast out demons, walked on water, calmed the sea, and had the authority to forgive sins.

    • Bible References

      • John 3:16
      • Luke 1:35
      • Matthew 3:16-17
      • Genesis 1:1
      • Revelation 19:13
      • John 1:1-5
      • John 14:9
      • Mark 2:5-12
      • John 3:16
      • John 14:6
      • John 14:3
      • Acts 1:11
      • Revelation 19:13

• Adventure Guide

  • 

    Gizmo's Bible Adventures - Your New Journey with God

  • 

    The Good Samaritan - Family Discussion Guide

• Videos

  Scribe Asks, "Who is My Neighbor?"

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    Scribe Asks, "Who is My Neighbor?"

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    Jesus Not Welcome in Samaritan Village

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    Samaritan Helps Jewish Man

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    The Samaritan is the Neighbor

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    The Good Samaritan - The Salvation Poem

• Q & A

  • Who is my neighbor and how should I treat them?

    Jesus taught in the Good Samaritan parable that everyone is our neighbor. He also said that we must love our neighbor as ourselves. In the parable we see that the Samaritan compassion, generosity, and kindness, and mercy to the Jewish man. He went out of his way to care for Him when the man was left for dead beside the road. Whoever has a need; that is our neighbor! How important is it to love our neighbor? The Pharisees were trying once again to trap Jesus by asking questions of Him. An expert in religious law asked Jesus what the most important commandments was. “Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40) According to Jesus’ answer- loving our neighbor is very important! You have probably heard of the Golden Rule. Jesus said it in Matthew 7:12. “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. (Matthew 7:12). How would you like to be treated? Treat others that way. Would you like mercy? Show mercy to others. Would you like to be forgiven? Forgive others. This is how we love our neighbor as ourselves!
    
    
    Discover God's love and plan for you

    • Luke 10:29
    • Matthew 22:37
    • Matthew 7:12

  • Does God expect me to share my possessions and my time with others?

    Are you generous? What does it even mean to be generous? It means to freely and willingly give or share all or more than is needed or required. The Samaritan in Jesus’ parable was both kind and generous. He risked his own life by stopping to help the injured man. The bandits could have been hiding and waiting for someone to stop to help so they could attack again. Then he used his own oil, wine, and bandages to care for the man’s wounds. He placed the man on his own donkey and brought him to the inn. He wasn’t done yet! He paid the innkeeper what amounted to about two day’s wages at that time. The next day, he promised to pay the innkeeper for any additional expenses needed to care for the man until he was well! What an example Jesus gave to us of generously caring for our neighbor. What the Samaritan did was for a friend or fellow Samaritan; yet, he did all of this for his despised Jewish enemy! (Luke 10:25-37). Are we generous like the Samaritan? Or, do we try to give the least amount of time, effort, or money to a need or request? What is our attitude when we give or help? Are we cheerful and eager to give? Or, do we do it grudgingly and complain as we do it? 2 Corinthians 9:7-9 says, “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” God’s response to our generosity is to be generous with us! He will give us all we need and even more to share with others! We love and serve a generous God. How generous? He sent His only Son to die for our sin so that we might live with Him forever! When we are connected to Christ, God generously blesses our lives. “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3).
    
    
    Discover God's love and plan for you

    • Luke 10:34

  • Jesus told the scribe to show mercy. Are we required to show mercy too?

    Jesus closed the parable of the Good Samaritan by asking the scribe a question. “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” (Luke 10:36-37). It is interesting that the scribe would not say it was the Samaritan. He said “the one who showed mercy”. It must have been very difficult to hear Jesus’ parable. No doubt the scribe had his own ideas of who his neighbors were. The Samaritans were not on the list! Jesus told the scribe to go show mercy to others; not just his friends, or fellow leaders – everyone. The words of Jesus are spoken to us too! We must also show mercy. So, what does it mean to show mercy? It means to show others loving-kindness and compassion; to show pity and be ready to help someone who is in trouble. Doesn’t that describe the Samaritan actions? This is how Jesus represented mercy in the parable. Before Jesus told his parable, two of Jesus’ disciples didn’t want to show mercy to their neighbors, the Samaritans! They asked Jesus if they should send fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritan village! All because they didn’t welcome Jesus! Jesus sternly rebuked them! (Luke 9: 51-56) What do you long for when you mess up or sin; mercy, right? The good news for us is that God is the source of mercy! “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16). That’s a relief! When we need it most, we can be confident in approaching God to receive mercy. Since we receive mercy, Jesus wants us to show others the same!
    
    
    Discover God's love and plan for you

    • Luke 10:37

  • Why did Jesus so often rebuke the religious leaders who appeared to be righteous and followed God's Law?

    The scribe, an expert in the law, wanted Jesus to validate his actions and attitude toward others who he considered to be his neighbors. The scribes and other religious leaders of Jesus’ day appeared on the outside to obey God in word and deed. Yet, Jesus saw their heart and motives on the inside. He saw who they really were and He had harsh words for them. Matthew 23:27:28 says, “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Imagine the surprise and embarrassment when the scribe heard Jesus’ parable. Instead of validating him, Jesus pointed out the Samaritan as a true neighbor rather than the Jewish priest or the Temple assistant (Luke 10:25-37). God often rebuked the religious leaders of His day because they were hypocrites. They liked to put on a show for others rather than live a life filled with truth and love. God has always placed more importance on the inside versus the outside of a person. We see this when the prophet Samuel went to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as king. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “But the Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Yes, God looks at the inner man; beyond what we can see with our physical eyes. Later in King David’s life he had committed sins against Uriah, one of his officers. He committed adultery with Uriah’s wife and then had Uriah sent to the front lines in battle so he would be killed. (2 Samuel 11:15; 2 Samuel 12:1-13). David had fooled everyone. He had literally gotten away with murder! Yet, He had not fooled God. God sent the prophet Nathan to expose David’s sin. David then pleaded with God to forgive him and restore him. He asked God to cleanse him and purify his heart and his inward parts (Hebrew wording). (Psalm 51:1-3; 6-10). Let us be more concerned about being pure inside than impressing or fooling others on the outside! Let us pray daily that the Holy Spirit would cleanse and purify our hearts!
    
    
    Discover God's love and plan for you

    • Matthew 23:28

  • Who did Jesus tell us to share the Gospel with?

    The Samaritans and Jews both claimed their Temple was the true place to worship God. The Samaritan woman spoke about this when she talked to Jesus at the well. “So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” (John 4: 20). Jesus responded that soon it would not matter where God was worshiped. He wanted all people to worship Him in spirit and in truth. This pointed to a time when the Holy Spirit would fill and dwell in all believers after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and return to heaven. (John 4:21-24). But, before anyone can worship in spirit and truth, they must hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ! In Acts 1:8, Jesus proclaimed that believers would be filled with the Spirit to give them power to take the Gospel everywhere on the earth. This included Samaria! “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” By the power of God’s Spirit, a man named Philip preached to the Samaritans who believed and were saved. He performed many miracles there. The apostles in Jerusalem heard what was happening in Samaria and came to lay hands on the people so they could be filled with the Holy Spirit! On the way back to Jerusalem they preached the Gospel in Samaritan villages along the way. (Acts 8:4-25). Yes, the Gospel was and is for everyone, both Jews and Gentiles alike. There is no one true place to worship God. Regardless of who or where we are, when we worship God in spirit and truth, our worship is accepted and pleasing to God!
    
    
    Discover God's love and plan for you

    • Acts 1:8