Harmony Hill Baptist Church

MEMORY VERSE: Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” —Luke 10:36-37 (ESV)

LUKE 10:25–29 ESV
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

QUESTION #1: What must I do to inherit eternal life?

Great question / wrong motivation!

DEUTERONOMY 6:4-5 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord

LEVITICUS 19:18
“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

ANSWER: Love God and love your neighbor.

QUESTION #2: Who is my neighbor?

Bad question / Bad motivation!

THE PARABLE

LUKE 10:30–37
30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Characters:
1) Man
• Unknown nationality
• Intentionally stripped of identity

INSIGHT: It’s easy to care for someone who looks like you, thinks like you, and agrees with you. It’s much harder to love those who don’t, but that doesn’t change our calling.

2) Priest / Levite
• Both were experts in the law.
• Both crossed to the other side.

INSIGHT: Religious devotion does not necessarily lead to godly obedience.

Compassion and mercy are moment-by-moment choices, and these defining choices give a window to our true priorities.

3) Samaritan
• Longstanding enemies of the Jewish people
• Had compassion, Greek word means “to be moved in one’s bowels”
• Went to the man

INSIGHT: We should feel a deep sense of compassion for our fellow man, knowing that dead people cannot seek help for themselves. We must meet them where they are and bind up their wounds.

QUESTION #3: Which of the three proved to be a neighbor?

ANSWER: The one who did mercy.

INSIGHT: For a disciple of Jesus, true compassion overflows in action.

As we walk the path before us, we must remember that ordinary does not equal insignificant. Every neighbor is a Kingdom opportunity for compassionate action.

Passage for next week: Galatians 3:26–29