This morning, we continue our series on “The Parables of Jesus.” We will seek to glean “Pearls from the Parables.”
Before we get to the parable, let’s look at a scripture we have been looking at all year. This is something I believe the Lord wants us to meditate on.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us.
(Luke 10:25-37 ERV)
25 Then an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. He said, “Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?”
26 Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you understand from it?”
27 The man answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ Also, ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.'”
28 Jesus said, “Your answer is right. Do this and you will have eternal life.”
29 But the man wanted to show that the way he was living was right. So he said to Jesus, “But who is my neighbor?”
30 To answer this question, Jesus said, “A man was going down the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Some robbers surrounded him, tore off his clothes, and beat him. Then they left him lying there on the ground almost dead.
31 “It happened that a Jewish priest was going down that road. When he saw the man, he did not stop to help him. He walked away.
32 Next, a Levite came near. He saw the hurt man, but he went around him. He would not stop to help him either. He just walked away.
33 “Then a Samaritan man traveled down that road. He came to the place where the hurt man was lying. He saw the man and felt very sorry for him.
34 The Samaritan went to him and poured olive oil and wine on his wounds. Then he covered the man’s wounds with cloth. The Samaritan had a donkey. He put the hurt man on his donkey, and he took him to an inn. There he cared for him.
35 The next day, the Samaritan took out two silver coins and gave them to the man who worked at the inn. He said, ‘Take care of this hurt man. If you spend more money on him, I will pay it back to you when I come again.'”
36 Then Jesus said, “Which one of these three men do you think was really a neighbor to the man who was hurt by the robbers?”
37 The teacher of the law answered, “The one who helped him.” Jesus said, “Then you go and do the same.”
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Living the Gospel: A Call to Authentic Discipleship.
— The Parable of the Good Samaritan calls us to a discipleship that is authentic, active, and aligned with the heart of Jesus. God is looking for His children to provide actions that go way beyond lip service. Far too many “Christians” draw nigh to God with their lips without having the actions to support what they claim to believe.
— Authentic discipleship requires us to be moved with compassion, as Jesus was, leading us to cross the road from indifference to involvement. It’s far too easy to be indifferent in this world. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit and the love of God, the Holy Spirit will prompt you to DO something, not just SAY something.
— It’s not enough to be moved emotionally; our compassion must be coupled with action, as faith without works is lifeless.
— When Jesus saw people who needed a touch from God, not only was His heart moved, but His hands and feet were, too. Jesus often crossed over from empathy to compassion.
— Empathy is the ability to mentally and emotionally put oneself in another person’s shoes. It involves understanding and sharing the feelings of others. Like when the Bible says we should “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15).
— Compassion goes a step further. It’s not just understanding and sharing the feelings of another, but also being moved to help alleviate their suffering. Compassion is empathy in action.
— When I taught the series on the miracles of Jesus, I noticed how many times the Bible says Jesus was full of compassion. It was like He was compelled by compassion to DO something about the suffering people were facing. He did not just feel bad; He did something!
— Compassion compels a person to take tangible steps to improve the situation of others.
— This parable is a powerful reminder that as a Christian, you are supposed to LIVE your faith in a way that impacts the world. It’s not just about going to church on Sundays or talking about your faith with your friends. True faith (authentic discipleship) requires action. Your learning must turn into living!
2. Compassion Beyond Boundaries.
— Godly compassion sees the person, not the label society has placed on them. Godly compassion is about human connection, not social status.
— The Samaritan’s actions broke through the walls of prejudice, reminding us that God’s love knows no limits.
— Jesus used an illustration that involved a priest (the highest order), then a Levite (just below him), and then a Samaritan (who was hated by those Jesus was speaking to). The two men who were “supposed to” do something about the man who needed help did nothing. They were the ones who were “supposedly” close to God, but their outward religious activity did not manifest in genuine earthly ministry. In contrast, the man in the text the Jewish society hated, the Samaritan, was the one who went out of his way to BE a blessing to not just anyone but to a Jew; to a person the societal norms would have excused him to ignore. This man went beyond the norms of society, and he did what was right in God’s sight. This is the way we are supposed to live.
— God put Haiti and the people of Haiti in Isabella’s heart years ago. When the earthquake happened in 2010, Isabella was deployed to Iraq, but her heart was filled with so much compassion that as soon as she got back, during the time she was supposed to be in her “cooling off period” from the deployment, she got a plane with a group of doctors and nurses and went on a medical missions trip to Haiti. She was there for two weeks, performing surgeries and sharing the love of God. She did not just talk about it; her empathy turned into compassion, and she had to DO something about it.
— Not too long ago, one of the doctors from that trip told me a story I did not know. He said that Isabella was the only person on the team who spoke Creole, and she connected with everyone they were ministering to. She loved the ladies and the girls there so much that when she left, she gave all her clothes away (this is not strange if you know Isabella). What I did not know was what the doctor told me about the flight out. At the airport, there was a lady asking for help, and she did not have shoes. Isabella had already given everything else away, but she had shoes, so she took off her nursing clogs, gave them to the lady, and flew home in socks. That is something I did not remember. But it’s not strange for my wife.
— Isabella is not from Haiti, but God gave her a heart from the people of Haiti. When we found out that little Haitian children in the Dominican Republic, in my hometown, needed help to go to school, the Lord put it on our hearts in 2015, and we were compelled by compassion to do something. We started with 50 (or so) children, renting a small house, and we began to help. Years later, we have 200 children, a compound that is paid for, two buildings that are paid for, and a feeding program that provides a warm breakfast and hot meal every day for our students, teachers, and staff. I share this for two reasons: 1) to use it as an example of the compassion of Jesus. This is not about us. This is about HIM! 2) to bring up a point about racism; the same type of racism Jesus addressed in the parable.
— One of the things that frustrate me, to no end, is when someone from my hometown asks me, “Why are you helping the Haitians?” My first answer is always, “Becuase God told me to.” But when this comes up, someone around me normally points out that our ministry does a lot for many Dominicans who are also in need. We feed prisoners who are Dominican. We provide backpacks full of school supplies to Dominican children. We go out to provide food in the poorest of places, which are mainly Dominican. And when this is explained, the person asking the question often says, “Oh, wow. Okay. I did not know that.” But my point is: why should I have to justify helping anyone? These people are like the lawyer who prompted this parable, asking Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” One of the points of the parable is that EVERYONE is your neighbor, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, or socioeconomic status.
— The compassion of the Holy Spirit knows no boundaries!
— It’s so easy for people today to love those who look like them or who are part of their social circles. But this parable is a reminder that the love and compassion of God will cause you to cross boundaries to BE a blessing!
— God’s call to love our neighbor requires us to look beyond our biases and see the image of God in every individual.
— As we walk in the footsteps of the Good Samaritan, we become the hands and feet of Jesus on earth, bringing light, healing, and hope in a dark and selfish world.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me! I boldly declare:
My discipleship will be authentic, active, and aligned with the love of Jesus.
I will not be a Christian in name only, but one who acts upon Your Word, crossing from indifference to involvement.
My compassion will be coupled with action, for I understand that faith without works is dead.
As Jesus was moved to help those in need, so too will I be moved to cross over from empathy to compassion.
I will not see labels or societal status, but Your image in every person I encounter.
I am committed to breaking through walls of prejudice, embodying Your limitless love.
I will not justify whom I help based on race, ethnicity, or background, for Your Spirit compels me to love all.
I am ready to be a beacon of Your light, healing, and hope in a world that needs Your love.
Living with this mindset, I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
