Parable of the Good Samaritan Snodgrass writes that "While one cannot exclude that Luke has joined two originally separate narratives, evidence for this is not convincing." The "Oxford Bible Commentary" notes: The unexpected appearance of the Samaritan led Joseph Halévy to suggest that the parable originally involved "a priest, a Levite, and an Israelite", in line with contemporary Jewish stories, and that Luke changed the parable to be more familiar to a gentile audience." Halévy further suggests that, in real life, it was unlikely that a Samaritan would actually have been found on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem, although others claim that there was
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