As Jesus is the cornerstone upon which the Church is built, so are his teachings the unifying cornerstone of Christian doctrine.

The Good Samaritan: salvation in pictures

Origen was a prolific Christian writer from Egypt born in the late 100’s. He suggested that the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) can be interpreted as an allegory, the story of salvation in pictures. He wrote that the injured man pictures Adam. The journey from Jericho to Jerusalem represents our journey from this world to paradise, the robbers who attacked, stripped and beat the man represent hostile powers. The priest pictures the law and the Levite the prophets. The Samaritan is Christ who we, in our fleshly lusts, treat as an enemy. The man’s wounds are what our disobedience to God does to us. The donkey pictures Jesus’ body which takes us first to the inn picturing the church, the manager is the head of the church, and the Samaritan promises to return just like Jesus will.

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