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25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27 He answered," 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
28 "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30 In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 34 The next day he took out two denarii[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
36 "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
Luke 10:25-37
Devotional
This parable is powerful because it illustrates truths that go to the heart of Christ. As we love God with our entire being, that love should overflow into our actions with those we encounter around us. This overflow is not observed in who we might expect. It comes from an outsider, a Samaritan who would have typically been despised. It was not the priest or Levite that cared for their neighbor. Instead, the Samaritan stepped up and emulates what it looks like to be self-giving, not self-serving. In the middle of having somewhere to go and something to do, he stopped. He ignored the distractions of being busy and chose to care for someone that needed help.
Sometimes, inviting someone to church or sharing your faith is easy. It is the moment when someone asks you where you go to church, and it feels seamless. At other times, walls, barriers, hurts, and pains seem to get in the way of sharing our story. Jesus's loving reminder is that extending the grace and hope of the Gospel will not always be convenient or easy. It might even seem like a distraction from the other good things you are doing - requiring an investment of generosity of both time and money. Yet, these diversions and distractions are worth it. The love of Christ compels us to do something, even if it costs us something. These moments can open the door and allow us to share with someone the truth of who loves them the most - Jesus.
12 'So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.’
Matthew 7:12
10'This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.’
1 John 4:10-12