MAY 11

Luke 10:25
Memorise Luke 8:10
"And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God..."

In the verse today, it is interesting to see that an expert in the law of Moses was asking Jesus about the law (“Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life”). Jesus replied with a question, which he answered correctly. Then we come to Luke 10:29, “But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?”

The question today is: How do I see the intended audience of the parable? Or more importantly, after identifying the audience, what more should I know about him?

Firstly, he was a Jew. He was a typical Jew of his day, self-righteous in his attitude and despising everybody else who was not a Jew, and who had a particular hatred towards the Samaritans. He considered himself far superior to the heathen Samaritan who did not worship the true God.

Secondly, this Jew was a lawyer, an expert in religious law. This is interesting, as the lawyer asked Jesus about the law (of Moses)! His very profession was the study and interpretation of the Torah, what we know as the Old Testament. He had practically spent his whole life dedicated to the Book!

Thirdly, why did the lawyer asked Jesus about the law? Verse 25 said that “a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him”. So Jesus knew that the lawyer’s question was “loaded” – he “tempted” Jesus with his question, i.e. he tried to “catch” Jesus off-guard, hoping that Jesus’ answer would contradict the Word of God. Also, verse 29 says, “But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?” The lawyer couldn’t contradict Jesus, but he still wanted to show that he was right.

These are just some initial clues that we need to identify to help us to fully understand the parable before us. Therefore we realise that to understand a particular biblical passage, we often have to understand it from the view of the intended audience, for it is through their eyes that we would be better able to understand what is going on.

Thought: Does a disciplined imagination play an important role in helping us to understand the Word of God?
Prayer: Lord, help me to think more, as I read Your Word!