Parable of the Good Samaritan the Good Samaritan. In the Gospel of Luke, the parable is introduced by a question, known as the Great Commandment: Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." He said to him, "You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live." But
Parable of the Strong Man will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save. (, NIV)</poem> It has been suggested that "Beelzebul" means "house of Ba'al," and that the image of the strong man's house was originally a wordplay on this. In the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas, which does not have the context of the Beelzebul controversy, the parable has been interpreted as merely suggesting that "shrewd planning and careful strategy" are necessary in order to accomplish one's goals. Parable of the Strong Man The Parable of the strong man (also known as the parable of the burglar and the