Scripture to Read: Luke 10:30-37
Today our focus is on the “Good Samaritan.” Jesus chose to use the “Good Samaritan” as an example because the Jews hated the Samaritans and the Jews were hated by the Samaritans. You can read more about the rift between the Samaritans and the Jews here: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/the-rift-between-jews-and-samaritans/. Because there was such hatred between the Jews and the Samaritans and had been for centuries, Jesus used this parable to powerfully impact this lawyer’s bigotry and hatred. Jesus shows that the Samaritan was the only one who was able to overcome his bigotry and prejudices. The Samaritan was also the only one who was willing to show mercy and compassion for the injured Jew. Remember, the injured Jew’s own people, the priest and the Levite, were the ones who went right by him and left him for dead. Jesus showed this lawyer that loving your neighbor as yourself meant he had to be willing to die to all hatred, bigotry, prejudice, malice, and slander against anyone else, including Samaritans. We must be willing to die to these same things in our lives as well. To choose to love our neighbor as ourselves is an act of our will. Jesus never said it would be easy to love God with all our being or to love others as ourselves. If loving God and loving others was easy, it would not have to be commanded throughout God's Word. Jesus did not share this parable just for this lawyer’s sake but for our sake today.
Challenge & Application
1. What did God teach you through the parable of the Good Samaritan?
2. What fleshly issues do you need to die to in order to truly love your neighbor as yourself?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!