A very good example of this is the Savior's Parable of the Good Samaritan. Just understanding the geography of the area can bless us to be able to see, hear and understand more about what the Savior is trying to teach us.
Matthew 13:9-13 - "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
"And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
"He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
"For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
"Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."
On the surface, for those who were in the Savior's presence to hear a good story, Jesus told a story about a man who was beat up on his way from one city to another. Several men did not stop to help him, but a poor man stopped and helped him, giving all he could to help. People who help anyone in need are called Good Samaritans.
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There is so much more that the Savior would like us to understand. A map of the Holy Land can help us to gain a greater appreciation of what Jesus was trying to teach us.
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Jerusalem, the capital city, is in the center, about two-thirds of the way down. Jericho, is above to the right. They are about twelve miles apart, a long way for someone who is walking, or even riding a donkey. The road between the cities was referred to as the Red Path or the Bloody Way because it was very dangerous. People were frequently assaulted and robbed as they traveled this road.
Looking at the elevation map of the two cities, we learn something really interesting.
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Jerusalem is 2540 feet above sea level, while Jericho is 825 feet below sea level. So, when Jesus began the parable by saying, "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho" (Luke 10:30), he really meant it. The parable is symbolic of the Plan of Salvation. We came from above, from an important place. As we come down to the earth, to a lower place of existence, there are trials, pain and problems that we will face, sometimes pretty serious, but we must learn to help each other.
It is imperative that we learn to care for all those around us, even those who we do not like. We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves. The Jews despised the Samaritans, considering them heretics (someone who holds an opinion contrary to accepted beliefs). The Priest and the Levite were Jews who professed to be followers of the law, which instructed them to serve others, yet they passed by without helping the injured man. Perhaps they were worried they would be accosted too, or perhaps they were in a huge hurry. Either way, they decided to do other than what they professed to believe. Yet, the Samaritan, knowing if the man were conscious he would most likely disdain him, picked the injured man up, put him on his own beast and took him to the nearest inn. He paid the inn keeper two pence, or basically two days wages, probably all he had, to take care of this stranger. Jesus Christ paid everything He had to pay for our sins, so that we can be healed and overcome our sins and transgressions, no matter who we are. He died for everyone, even those who do not believe in Him, even those who despise Him.
We do not have to love Jesus Christ to understand the concept of loving our neighbor as ourselves. It's just common decency. But, thankfully we do love Jesus Christ and so we do as we are commanded, doing all we can to emulate the pure love of Christ.
Isn't that wonderful?!!
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