Have you ever noticed how a single question can expose the ache in our hearts? “Who is my neighbor?” sounds simple, but it pries open our assumptions about belonging, responsibility, and who we’re willing to love. Luke’s story of the Good Samaritan hits us where we live: it confronts our tendency to categorize people and comforts us with the fact that mercy often comes from the most unexpected places.
In Luke 10:25–37 a lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus turns the question back to him: What does the Law say? He answers correctly—love God and love your neighbor. Still wanting to justify himself, the lawyer asks, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus tells a parable: a man is robbed, beaten, and left for dead. A priest and then a Levite pass by without helping. A Samaritan—considered an enemy—stops, tends the man’s wounds, and pays for his care. Jesus asks which of the three was a neighbor; the lawyer admits the Samaritan was and Jesus says, “Go and do likewise.” This parable appears in Luke only; there is no direct parallel in Matthew, Mark, or John.
This story reveals who Jesus is and what His kingdom looks like: God’s mercy breaks social boundaries and overturns religious pretensions. Jesus calls love a verb that costs something—time, risk, money, inconvenience. The religious leaders in the story keep the law but miss compassion; the outsider embodies the heart of the law. Don’t miss the weight of that moment—Jesus isn’t giving a soft suggestion. He’s redefining neighborliness to include those we’d sooner ignore and calling us to live into that costly compassion.
Today, practice being a neighbor in one concrete way. Before noon, look for someone you usually pass by—a co-worker, a neighbor, someone in a store—and do one small, tangible thing: ask a real question about their life, listen without fixing, offer a meal, cover a bill, or make a call to connect them with help. Ask God to soften your eyes and give you courage. Then, when you act, remember the Samaritan: mercy doesn’t wait for permission. Go and do likewise.
In Luke 10:25–37 a lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus turns the question back to him: What does the Law say? He answers correctly—love God and love your neighbor. Still wanting to justify himself, the lawyer asks, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus tells a parable: a man is robbed, beaten, and left for dead. A priest and then a Levite pass by without helping. A Samaritan—considered an enemy—stops, tends the man’s wounds, and pays for his care. Jesus asks which of the three was a neighbor; the lawyer admits the Samaritan was and Jesus says, “Go and do likewise.” This parable appears in Luke only; there is no direct parallel in Matthew, Mark, or John.
This story reveals who Jesus is and what His kingdom looks like: God’s mercy breaks social boundaries and overturns religious pretensions. Jesus calls love a verb that costs something—time, risk, money, inconvenience. The religious leaders in the story keep the law but miss compassion; the outsider embodies the heart of the law. Don’t miss the weight of that moment—Jesus isn’t giving a soft suggestion. He’s redefining neighborliness to include those we’d sooner ignore and calling us to live into that costly compassion.
Today, practice being a neighbor in one concrete way. Before noon, look for someone you usually pass by—a co-worker, a neighbor, someone in a store—and do one small, tangible thing: ask a real question about their life, listen without fixing, offer a meal, cover a bill, or make a call to connect them with help. Ask God to soften your eyes and give you courage. Then, when you act, remember the Samaritan: mercy doesn’t wait for permission. Go and do likewise.
Luke: 10:25-37
When a lawyer asks Jesus what must be done to inherit eternal life, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan: a man beaten and left for dead is passed by a priest and a Levite but is pitied and cared for by a Samaritan, teaching that true neighborly love transcends social boundaries and calls others to show mercy.
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