What does Luke 10:34 mean?
A Jewish lawyer knows he needs to love God and love his neighbor to inherit the gift of eternal life. These two commands encompass the spirit of the Mosaic law. Ever ready to debate, the lawyer wants to know who he is supposed to show his love to. Who is his neighbor (Luke 10:25–29)?Jesus turns the question around. Israelites of that era despised Samaritans for their mixed heritage, corrupted religion, and centuries of political strife. By making the Samaritan the one who shows love—surpassing that of Jewish religious leaders—Jesus explains that showing love is not merely a task. It should be a natural expression of one's character. God expects us to be people of love, not merely people who love.
The Samaritan's initial ministrations are selfless. He shares his own supply of oil and wine and may have had to tear his own clothes to make bandages. Oil keeps the skin soft so it won't dry out; wine is the first medication and prevents infection. Jesus does not include in His story whether the Samaritan was riding the animal, and now must walk, or if he was using it as a pack animal and now needs to carry his cargo. The point Jesus is making is that the Samaritan freely shares his own supplies, and goes out of his way, to care for the wounded man. The Samaritan pays for a room and tends to the victim all night. When he leaves the next morning, he pays two days' wages. That likely would have covered more than three weeks of room and board. When he leaves, he promises to return and compensate the innkeeper for any other expenses (Luke 10:35).
