The Good Samaritan study for Cell Group

This is a cell group resource which can be used for your cell group session. As a leader of the cell group, you would probably want to modify the questions to suit your own cell group. Feel free to discuss or let me know if I made any mistakes on my interpretation.
The “Q”s are the questions that you should ask your cell group to initiate discussions.
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The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
Aim for your cell group: to make sure that everyone in the cell group loves everyone (Christians or non Christians) fully and unconditionally. This study also aims to identify our own weaknesses in doing this.
Read Luke 10:25-37.

There is a teaching here that Salvation doesn’t actually come by works but by Grace alone. The man on the story thought that salvation can be obtained through works, by fulfilling Moses’ Laws. He claims that he has fulfilled and followed all the laws. However Jesus wants to show to this man, that if that is the case, then everyone must fulfill EVERY law written (which is impossible for man kind!) – Galatians 3:10.
There can be no one who can do all the laws written perfectly. Jesus wants to show only by the Grace of God can a man be then saved! The standard, that is to do the “perfect love” (agape), is too high for us sinful humans.
(Ice breaker) Q: Share about a person who has gone “all out” in helping you at one point in your life

Q. So what do we know about this man?
He is a lawyer or “expert in the Law” – specialised in Moses Law. He knows Moses Law inside out. Jesus answered based on what this man knew most, that is Moses Law (Jesus did the same on the Samaritan woman near the well. Jesus used “water”, which is relevant at that woman needs at that time)
The Lawyer wants to test Jesus. He thinks that he knows everything, the most righteous, to show off what he knows and how good he is.
Q. What were the 2 questions that he asked Jesus?
1. Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? (Salvation)
Q: Do you think he know about the answer?
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”; and, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, respectively.
“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5)
‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:18).

2. And who is my neighbor?
Q: What sort of answer do you think he was expecting from Jesus?

“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). Based on this verse form the Old Testament, the word “neighbor” means the Israelites – which is probably what he was expecting from Jesus. That is his closest friends, family members, etc. Unfortunately, the word “neighbor” means differently according to Jesus’ standard!

Information: The way to Jerusalem to Jericho is around 17 miles or 27 kilometres apart. It’s hilly through mountains, dessert, and stoney.

Q: Let’s Identify the victim. Who is he?
Most probably a Jew. But it is not clear and it is not said on the Bible. It doesn’t matter who he is, he is someone that needs help and love!
Q. Identify the three people mentioned on the story
First: A Priest
Most likely he has just finished from a service on a temple in Jerusalem (offering sacrifices, etc) and going back to his home at Jericho.
Q: Looking at his status as a priest, do you think he walk bare-footed or riding something (a donkey?)
Q: Do you think he could have seen the poor man from far?
If you think he is, then he must have thoughts like “Should I help him? Or not?” while he’s walking nearer. Have you ever had that same thoughts when seeing someone that needed your help?
Q: Why do you think the priest didn’t help this man?
Scared? Disgust? “Not my business”? There is a possibility of him following Moses Law as a priest:
“….must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother” (Leviticus 21:11).
“…will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse” (Leviticus 22:4; Ezekiel 24:25)
Second: a Levite (helping Priests in a temple)
Q: Why do you think the Levite didn’t help this man?
Same reason like the priest perhaps? or this can also show that we often follow what other people do. If no one helps, then why should I?
Q (Reflection/Share) : Now, what sort of excuses do we all have on a situation where we saw someone in need of help? (our fellow Christians and non-Christians)
Q: The victim is a Samaritan. Why did Jesus use a Samaritan as an example?
To show the hostility between a Samaritan and a Jew at that time. Most likely that the last person (the one who helped the Samaritan) was a Jew, and Jesus was trying to teach that you should help anyone in need.
Q: Observe what the Samaritan did closely and tried to analyze what we can learn from him.

Verse 33: “…And when he saw him, he had compassion.” Start from within, our hearts. Have our hearts been right?
Verse 34 – he didn’t think too much. He came close to the victim without hesitation to help.
Observe from inconvenience point of view : time, energy, money, and risk that he had to take to save the poor man!
Olive oil often used to soften wounds and heal bruises. The wine, perhaps, was used as a method to cleanse the wound (alcohol).
“..bandaged.” Do you think he carried bandages around? It is possible that he shattered his own clothes or something to be used to bandage the wounds.
“…he set him on his own animal”. A donkey can’t usually carry 2 people. So most likely he had to walk, while the poor man was on his donkey.
Again, cost – as he had to pay for the inn.
Two denarii (roughly a two days salary worth at that time) + “whatever more you spend”
Q: Do you think he had ever thought of getting his money back?
He will return again. He doesn’t care whether the innkeeper would gossip around. He didn’t care his status and reputation to help.

1John 3:17-18 says: “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

Commitment: Is there anyone that you know, who requires our attention? Or is there someone where we loved before but then we have stopped loving because of a reason? (tired, disappointed, fed up, cost, no time, etc?)
Contact him/her! Ask how he/she’s doing. Do something for someone else this week yang cost our time, convenience, cost, risk, etc!

Contact him/her! Ask how he/she’s doing. Do something for someone else this week yang cost our time, convenience, cost, risk, etc!