The Good Samaritan

29 But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

Jesus answered this question by telling the story of a man who was attacked by robbers and left half dead. A priest came by, saw him, and passed by on the other side. Then a Levite came, saw him, and did the same. These men knew God's law. They were religious people who were knowledgeable about Scripture. Yet when an opportunity came to demonstrate God's love, they did nothing. This teaches us an important truth: knowing God's Word and living out God's Word are two different things. We can know Scripture, attend church, listen to sermons, and understand biblical truth, yet still fail to show compassion when God places someone in need directly in front of us.

33 But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.

The Samaritan saw the same suffering man that the priest and Levite had seen, but there was one significant difference: the Samaritan did not merely see the man's condition; he was moved with compassion. The Samaritans and Jews had a history of hostility, yet Jesus deliberately used a Samaritan as the example of genuine neighborly love. The Samaritan came near, treated the man's wounds, used his own resources, put the man on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and cared for him. He did not simply say, “I hope somebody helps you.” He became the somebody who helped. That is what it means to be a blessing.

35 On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’

The Samaritan went all the way. His compassion cost him time, effort, resources, and money. Real love often costs us something. The Samaritan could have continued his journey, but he interrupted his plans to care for someone else's need. God also gives us opportunities to interrupt our plans for the sake of others. Sometimes being a blessing means giving our time when we are busy, our resources when they could be used for ourselves, and our attention when it would be easier to walk away.

36 Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” 37 And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

Notice that Jesus did not ask, “Who deserved your help?” He asked, “Who proved to be a neighbor?” The answer was the one who showed mercy. Then Jesus gave the command, “Go and do the same.” Christianity is not merely about knowing what is right; it is about doing what is right. We have received God's mercy, therefore we show mercy. We have received God's kindness, therefore we show kindness. We have received God's love, therefore we demonstrate love.

LUKE 10

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By God’s grace, this website, The Message of God, was created to share His Word, encourage others in their faith, and lead people to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. God has uniquely designed and equipped every believer to take part in His work, and this website is one small expression of that calling.

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