Luke 10:21-37

Jesus is being quizzed. Tested by the Jewish teachers to see if He would make a mistake. This was likely a response to Jesus' claim to wholly know God.

Jesus' response is like a lesson in evangelism - He doesn't preach to the man but asks Him a question - to engage him more than just trying to trip Jesus up.

The man's response to Jesus' question was the right one - that verse is a common one in Jewish culture to sum up the Torah. But on Jesus' suggestion to do just that he knows that he cannot do that. Hence his further question. He wanted again to trap Jesus in order to justify why he couldn't follow to law.

An arrow to the heart ?

This should go straight to our hearts. Are we living out what we say and read and believe?

There should be real action in our lives to our faith. We shouldn't just sit there and be "Christian". We should be going out and living Jesus' teaching and passing it on to everyone in our lives.

Who is my neighbor? ?

Jesus turned the question on it's head. He doesn't define a person who is our neighbour, but a relationship. It not who is our neighbour, but who can we become a neighbour to that we should be concerned with.

The Preist and the Levite ?

Jesus uses these two as an example. He showed the man that their theology and status didn't help them when it came to actually helping someone. They knew the law but couldn't follow it.

The Samaritan ⛑

Again, Jesus deliberately chose the Samaritan to be the one who became the true neighbour.

The Samaritan was a social rival of the injured Jew - yet despite not following the Jewish law he did what was right and loved this man.

He did the short term aid, and provided for long term care.

There is a lesson here as to how we go about care ministry. One meal is not enough for long term solution. We should do what we can short term but not stop there. The long term solution is born out of a loving relationship to be a neighbour, not just a useful passer-by.

"Go and do likewise" ?

Jesus' simple conclusion to the conversation is a direct application to us.

After hearing this story, we shouldn't try to justify ourselves like the teacher. We should simply go and do what the Samaritan did; to anyone who needs it.

And we should do this not out of moral legalism, but out of a response to the love we have for God and the love He has for us. Our love for our potential neighbours is a result of the love God offered us.