9. What the Good Samaritan Gave
The first and most obvious aspect of generous giving is its fullness. True generosity is not just giving, but giving more – it avoids giving only a minimum or token gift and chooses to give extensively, when possible, in order to better fill the need.
The book of Proverbs tells us "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it" (Proverbs 3:27 ESV), and this speaks directly to the concept of giving generously as well as simply giving something. Perhaps the clearest example of this principle in the Bible is found in one of the best known and most profound of all the parables of Jesus. This story is often referred to as the parable of the "Good Samaritan" but might be better called that of the "Giving Samaritan" – 0f all Jesus' parables, this is the one that most closely focuses on the act of giving.
The striking nature of the parable of the Samaritan who helped an injured Jewish traveler on the road to Jericho (Luke 10:25–37) is underscored by the tension and animosity between the Jewish and Samaritan people of that time (John 4:9; etc.) – a situation that meant the Samaritan's kindness was all the more remarkable.
Well-known as it is, many do not realize that Jesus' parable was probably based on an Old Testament story that tells of the kindness given to certain Judean military captives by men of Samaria whose behavior resembles that of the Good Samaritan at a number of points. The earlier story tells us that the Samaritans helped the Jewish captives considerably in that: they clothed all who were naked. They provided them with clothes and sandals, food and drink, and healing balm. All those who were weak they put on donkeys. So they took them back to their fellow Israelites at Jericho, the City of Palms, and returned to Samaria. (2 Chronicles 28:15)
The similarities between this story and Jesus' parable are obvious – the setting in the area of Jericho, the fact that the people helped were enemies, the anointing and care for the individuals concerned, placing those too weak to walk on donkeys, and their delivery to an area where they would be cared for are all directly parallel. Jesus knew the Scriptures thoroughly, of course, and would have been familiar with this story, as would many of his listeners. The surface difference between the Samaritans helping a group of people in the Old Testament story and the single Samaritan helping an individual in Christ's parable simply shows that if he were using that older story as a basis for his own teaching, Jesus wished to focus on our responsibility to individuals in need.
Regardless of the origins of the story of the Good Samaritan, its timeless message teaches us that when there is true need – as opposed to requests for money by those who are unnecessarily living on handouts (something we will cover in Chapter 13 "The Savvy Samaritan") – we should give without hesitation. That much is clear from even a cursory reading of the story, but the parable also teaches something that is easier to miss – that in cases of real need, we should be willing to give with great generosity.
Christ's parable tells us that the Samaritan who rescued the injured Judean – despite belonging to a group that was generally shunned and even despised by many Jews – not only bound the man's wounds and carried him on his own donkey to the nearest inn, but also made provision for the man's upkeep. The story tells us: "The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have'" (Luke 10:35).
It is easy to read over the fact that the Samaritan gave "two denarii" – or "two pence" as some older translations have it – for the man's upkeep, but the amount was not a small one. The denarius was a silver coin of the Roman Empire – from which the word "money" is derived in several modern languages (for example, Spanish "dinero"). We know historically that at the time of Christ a single denarius would be the approximate pay for a day's labor (Matthew 20:2). Two denarii equaled two days' wages, or a full third of what an individual could earn in a week; at current U.S. minimum wage it would be about $140. But what would that amount buy at that time?
Archaeology can help answer that question. A sign discovered in an inn located in a city of the Roman Empire not too distant in time from the setting of the parable of the Good Samaritan indicates that the nightly cost for a room was very low. So the fact that the Samaritan provided two denarii for the care of the man he helped shows that he was providing for more than just a single night's lodging and food. The Samaritan also made it clear that when he came by on his return journey he would pay for any extra expenses if the two denarii were used up.
Generous Giving Is Extensive Giving So, the gift of the Samaritan was not a small one and the extent of the individual's generosity toward a total stranger (especially of a nation that generally shunned his own people) seems astonishing. This does not mean, of course, that Jesus advocated giving large amounts to everyone we attempt to help. We do not know how rich or poor the Samaritan was – the parable does not give us that context. But how different this giving is from the concept many people have today of just giving a dollar or two when they feel it is expected. Even those who do give more generously may be reluctant to help an individual in need as opposed to a tax-approved organization. But Christ's parable shows us, through what the Good Samaritan gave, that we should not hesitate to help an individual in real need, and that when human need is real we should give generously – even at the individual level – when that is appropriate.