The Good Samaritan - Luke 10:25-37

My Wed night small group has the honor of being led by Pastor Jim for the next 4 weeks. Its a seminar he's packaging into a 4-week series and taking on the road to different small groups in our church. The focus is on compassion - not just learning about its importance, but spurring real action. A lot of the same ideas from the Integral Mission conference.

10:25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial of him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 10:26 And he said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. 10:28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 10:29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? 10:30 Jesus made answer and said, A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho; and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 10:31 And by chance a certain priest was going down that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 10:32 And in like manner a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. 10:33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion, 10:34 and came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on `them' oil and wine; and he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 10:35 And on the morrow he took out two shillings, and gave them to the host, and said, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, I, when I come back again, will repay thee. 10:36 Which of these three, thinkest thou, proved neighbor unto him that fell among the robbers? 10:37 And he said, He that showed mercy on him. And Jesus said unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Luke 10:25-37 ASV

While I've heard this parable many times, I got some new insight from a careful dissection of what the dirty, half-breed Samaritan did. He took a series of 8 actions that addressed both immediate needs and long-term needs. The first of these three actions were to:

Jim challenged us to take these first 3 actions this week. This means going out of our comfort zones to come near, see, and be moved with pity. It is a simple act, but a very difficult one to do. Jim noted that there is no compassion without action. Inaction is empathy, not compassion.

Easy to say, tough to do. Look for a future update on how I (and our small group) might respond...