<p>10:38 <i>Now as they went on their way, he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha welcomed him into her house</i>- This incident is recorded perhaps to demonstrate the outworking of 'going and doing likewise' in the preceding parable (:37). But the 'doing' was not doing works, but rather listening to the Lord's teaching of salvation by grace and believing it.</p><p>The parable of the good Samaritan features Jesus as the Samaritan helping the stricken man, representative of us all. However, the parable is followed immediately by the account of the Lord visiting the Bethany home of Martha and Mary. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho went via Bethany. The home where the sick man was taken was surely intended to be understood as that of Martha and Mary. The attacked man is called &ldquo;a certain man&rdquo;, and then we read straight on that the Lord was entertained by &ldquo;a certain woman&rdquo;, Martha (Lk. 10:30,38). The Samaritan &ldquo;as he journeyed&rdquo; came to the stricken man; and yet &ldquo;as they went on their way, he entered into a certain village&hellip;&rdquo; (Lk. 10:33,38). The Samaritan Jesus &lsquo;cared for him&rsquo;; and yet Martha unkindly challenges the Lord &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t you care&hellip;?&rsquo; (Lk. 10:35,40). The similarities aren&rsquo;t just co-incidence. Surely the Lord is teaching that whether or not Martha perceives it, she and Mary are actually the wounded man of the parable, and He is taking care of them, not vice versa as Martha thought, in the teaching He was giving them in their home. He was spiritually pouring in oil and wine. And yet Martha and Mary, especially in Martha&rsquo;s incomprehension of the Lord&rsquo;s spiritual and saving care for her, are set up as types of all of us who are saved and cared for in Christ.</p><p>The disciples literally did give up most of what they had and follow the Lord. And yet there were evidently others who responded to His teaching without doing this- Peter&rsquo;s family (Mk. 1:29); Mary and Martha (Lk. 10:38); Simon the leper Mk. 14:3). They made use of the Lord's concessions to human weakness.&nbsp;</p>