"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. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was, and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 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. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. Look after him, he said, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense."
Luke 10:30-35 (NIV)"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
Micah 6:8 (NIV)A Lawyer Stood Up to Test Jesus
A lawyer stood up to test Jesus. He wanted to justify himself. He wanted a boundary. He wanted to know exactly who counted as a neighbor so he could draw a circle around the right people and leave everyone else outside.
Jesus told him a story that erased the circle entirely.
The Religious People Walked By
Not bad people. Religious people. A priest. A Levite. Men who served in the temple. Men who knew the law. Men who could quote Leviticus 19:18 with their eyes closed. Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
They saw the man. They assessed the situation. And they crossed to the other side of the road.
We have given them the benefit of every doubt. Maybe they were afraid of robbers still hiding in the bushes. Maybe they had temple duties. Maybe touching a possibly dead body would make them ceremonially unclean. All of those reasons are technically true. And none of them matter to Jesus. They saw a dying man and they chose ritual over mercy.
The Hero Was the Wrong Person
Here is where Jesus lands the blow. The hero of the story is not a Pharisee. Not a devout Jew. Not a morally upright Roman. It is a Samaritan.
Samaritans were despised by first-century Jews. They were considered ethnically impure, theologically compromised, socially untouchable. The animosity between Jews and Samaritans was deep, historical, and mutual. If Jesus wanted to shock His audience, He could not have chosen a more offensive hero.
It would be like telling a story today where the hero is the person your entire community has agreed is the enemy. The person you have been taught to distrust. The person you would cross the street to avoid. That person is the one who stops. That person is the one who saves the day. That person is the one who shows you what love actually looks like.
He Saw and Took Pity
The priest saw and crossed over. The Levite saw and crossed over. The Samaritan saw and took pity. Same action, different response. The difference was not in their eyes. It was in their hearts.
And then notice what the Samaritan did. He did not just feel bad. He acted. He bandaged wounds. He poured oil and wine. He lifted the man onto his own donkey. He walked beside him. He paid for his lodging. He promised to cover any additional costs. This was not a momentary gesture. It was a sustained, costly, personal commitment to a stranger.
The Question Was Backwards
The lawyer asked, who is my neighbor. He wanted a definition. A boundary. A list of who counts and who does not.
Jesus answered with a story and then asked a different question. Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers.
Do you hear the shift. The lawyer asked who deserves my love. Jesus asked will you be the kind of person who loves. The question was never who is my neighbor. The question is will you be one.
Who Is on the Side of Your Road
There is someone on the side of your road right now. Maybe they are inconvenient. Maybe they are the person your community has decided is not worth your time. Maybe helping them would cost you something real. Money. Reputation. Comfort. Time.
The Samaritan did not calculate the cost before he stopped. He stopped and the cost followed. That is how mercy works. It does not budget. It responds.
Cross Back Over the Road
Who is the Samaritan in your world? The person you have been taught to avoid. The person whose need you have walked past because it was inconvenient or uncomfortable. Today, cross back over the road. Stop. See them. Do something that costs you.
- Who is the person you have been taught to avoid or distrust? What would it look like to see them as a neighbor?
- When was the last time you stopped for someone whose need was inconvenient to you?
- What would it cost you to cross back over the road this week?
- Who is the person you've been taught to avoid?
- When was the last time you stopped for someone whose need was inconvenient?
- What would it cost you to cross back over the road?
Religious duty is never an excuse for human indifference. The question is not who is my neighbor. The question is will you be one.
Father, I have crossed to the other side more times than I want to admit. I have seen people in need and calculated the cost of stopping. Forgive me. Open my eyes to the person on the side of my road today. Give me the courage to stop, to see, to act, and to pay whatever it costs. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Religious duty is never an excuse for human indifference. The question is not who is my neighbor. The question is will you be one.
Tomorrow we look at the most famous story Jesus ever told. The prodigal son. Two lost sons. One running father. And an older brother who never left home but was just as far away. Day 9 is for anyone who needs to come home, or anyone who needs to come inside.
With honesty and hope,
Claire