Neco 2017 Christian Religious Studies Question 8

Read the following excerpt from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 10:25‑37), which records the Parable of the Good Samaritan: "A lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, ‘Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart… and your neighbour as yourself.’ He said to him, ‘You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.’ But he, wanting to justify himself, said, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied: ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell among robbers… A priest passed by… a Levite passed by… but a Samaritan, as he saw him, had compassion… He bound up his wounds… and took him to an inn…’", Answer the following: a) Identify the main characters in the parable and succinctly state its moral teaching. b) Analyse how the cultural context of Jews and Samaritans in the first‑century enhances the impact of the parable’s message. c) Discuss how the principle illustrated in the parable can be applied to two contemporary social issues, providing specific examples. d) Many readers mistakenly interpret the parable as merely a call for charitable acts. Critique this misinterpretation and explain why it overlooks the deeper theological intent of the story.