Learn Some Biblical Hebrew Culture

[Kees Boer]

Hi, these are very short videos. You can watch all of them in about 15 minutes. Learn some important Biblical Hebrew Culture.

 

[Vanellus]

Thanks for this. I had been thinking of this parable recently. I'm always struck by the way Jesus turns the parable around. One might well expect the victim (the object of love) to be a Samaritan and the third man to represent Jesus' questioner. Who is my neighbour? Jesus replies that you should even help a Samaritan. But we are not told anything much about the victim and it is the Samaritan who helps the unspecified victim. Even (the hated by Jews) Samaritans understand that love applies to everyone, and a love limiting question like "who is my neighbour?" should not be asked.

I wonder if Jesus is trying to get his questioner to identify as the victim. The lesson being if you limit who is your neighbour on racist grounds, then you might be in a position of needing help from someone who could well return the (lack of) favour.

 

[Kees Boer]

Yes, the one, who he told this too was very surprised, I think. I think that he thought that Christ was going to make the Pharisee into the hero. Instead, it was the Samaritan. There was a huge hatred between the Samaritans and the Jewish people. So, he was very surprised...