A Year in Luke/ActsNäide

Jesus is traveling to Jerusalem to show that true power is not found in force or violence, but in sacrificial love, even for our enemies. The Good Samaritan parable offers a window into this reality. Those who thought they were untouchable are being exposed as in desperate need by the side of the road. Will they accept help?

For us to read Luke’s gospel and think we are better than the religious Jews at that time would be to make the same mistake they made. We must read scripture as a mirror to ourselves, not a magnifying glass for others. Ironically, if we are reading scripture as if we are a “good Samaritan” we might miss the fact that we were once the beaten man by the side of the road, thinking we are superior to everyone, ignoring those in desperate need.

The message of the Good Samaritan challenges us all. What does it mean to see the kingdom of God at work in the “other”?

Let’s take time to humbly come before the Lord and reflect on this today.