MCC - The Good Samaritan
Luke 10:25-37 (NLT)
The Most Important Commandment
25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
27 The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”
29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Parable of the Good Samaritan
30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV)
5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Leviticus 19:18 (NIV)
18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
How do we go and do the same?
- Place yourself in someone's pain
- Sacrifice your plans and position
- Take specific action
A Prayer for Empathy
God, our world is bent and broken. But this didn't
stop You from showing Your great love for us by
sending Your Son to empathize with us in our
weakness. Help me to do likewise. Help me to
view everyone I interact with the way You see
them. Allow me to be a part of Your solution to
the brokenness in this world. Show me how to
partner with You in creating sustainable change. I
recognize that in order to do that, I need to be
willing to share in the pain of others. Give me the
courage to do that, and then, help me to take
action. Let empathy and restoration start with me.
Amen.