Once in a while I will be reading Scripture and suddenly a whole new picture will spring from the page and I will have a paradigm shift in perspective. Remez is a particular favorite shift where one story tells another story. One example I have written about and recently been reminded of is David and Goliath and their connection with the Book of Revelation!!
Well, a couple days ago, while searching for a Scripture verse that had the word ‘journey’ in it I stumbled on Luke 10:33, a verse I have read many times, but suddenly it jumped off of the page in a whole new way.
33 But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion,
I couple questions popped into my head and in just a matter of seconds I knew the name of the Samaritan!! Seriously! And, the name of the man who had been beaten and robbed!
Let me explain.
We can often get locked into a specific or dictated view of Scripture that may or may not be right. What we do know is that there are great depths to the Word of our King, some of which are only being revealed in our day…
Luke 10:30 Yeshua replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and [a]beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 On the next day he took out two [b]denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ 36 Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” 37 And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Yeshua said to him, “Go and do [c]the same.”
Did you see it?
Yeshua is telling a parable, and parables are stories with deep and often layered meaning. So let’s ask some questions and tease out some details.
A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho…
Who is traveling? Where from? Where to? What is the sense of direction? He is traveling away from Jerusalem and in opposition to the songs of ascents.
…fell among robbers, and they stripped him and [a]beat him, and went away leaving him half dead.
What did they steal? Clothes? A picture of identity? Righteousness?
The robbers beat him… Ezekiel 34 explains this. Read that when you get a chance….
…half dead…
After I got this clip from the Princess Bride out of my head, I began to notice some details about our ‘man’ and I recognized his name. (I’ll let you ponder as you read…)
31 And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
The priest, who departed Jerusalem after the ‘man’ is also ‘going down,’ i.e. traveling away from Jerusalem. Then, ‘likewise’ the Levite! Hmmm. This is getting very interesting!!
Who is the priest? Who is the Levite? (Ponder some more..)
And, here come some details I never noticed in this way giving insight into the Samaritan’s name.
33 But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
The word ‘journey’ is what snapped this picture into focus, and you will see it’s meaning in a second. Let’s skip forward to…
oil and wine….his own beast…
Who comes riding a donkey with oil and wine? What do those elements represent? Does He bind up the wounded? (Isaiah 53) How often are we told He is moved to compassion?
More interestingly, Who was regarded as the bastard unclean son of Miriam (Mary)? In essence, socially lower than a Samaritan… Who, today, is still regarded by many to be ‘unclean?’ Who became unclean in order to redeem His people?
he felt compassion…and came to him and bandaged up his wounds…
How many times in the Gospels do we see this phrase describing Yeshua’s attitude toward the blind, lame and deaf (all metaphors for being disobedient to Torah)? Did He not come to bind up the wounded?
But, the story gets even better…
…he…brought him to an inn and took care of him.
Ezekiel 11:16 tells us that even after Ephraim (and Judah) is scattered that the Father will care for them…
‘Thus says the Lord God, “Though I had removed them far away among the nations and though I had scattered them among the countries, yet I was a sanctuary for them a little while in the countries where they had gone.”’
As the parable continues, we read,
On the next day he took out two [b]denarii
A denarii is a day’s wages, so we see,
“He will revive us after two days;
He will raise us up on the third day,
That we may live before Him.
And Who is the innkeeper who takes care of the man?
and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him;
None other than YHVH, who we saw in the quote from Ezekiel!!
And the final detail that is so important, the One riding the donkey promises that He will return.
when I return…
Wow!!
The ‘Good Samaritan’ Parable is none other than the story of Yeshua, on a long ‘journey,’ who comes with oil and wine and riding a donkey, Who binds up the wounded and broken hearted Ephraim who has been stripped of his righteousness and heritage!
This all now begs an interesting question: When, in Luke 10:25, the Lawyer tests Yeshua concerning how to inherit eternal life, was there a question about Yeshua’s legitimacy as Messiah playing in his mind? Had he been listening to the rumors about Yeshua’s birth to an unwed mother? Was that part of the reason why Yeshua portrayed Himself as a Samaritan, the unclean One who would take on the sins of the world?
Fascinating, amazing picture of our Messiah, the truly Good Samaritan. Blindingly obvious, yet hidden in plain sight!! I just love, love, love all that our King is revealing to us in this day!!
Reviewing some details:
the man = Ephraim/house of Joseph/house of Israel
robbers = the shepherds of Ezekiel 34 that shear the sheep
stripped = identity in Torah and heritage
half dead = dead bones of Ezekiel 37
Priest = Priests and Second Temple Judaism, also exiled
Levite = Rabbinic Judaism that came out of the priesthood after the (2nd) exile
Samaritan = Yeshua, unclean, riding a donkey with oil, wine and bandaging the wounded
Innkeeper = Yehovah
Inn = the shelter in the wilderness
two denarii = two days
11:3 Restoration 
Wow! I love how The scales are coming off our eyes
And Two days = 2 thousand years
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In a way, all or most of the parables will give you this message, because He said He came only for the lost sheep of Israel. This one was a real eyeopener for me, yet, it makes sence!!! Thankyou!!
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