Living LifeWise: The Good SamaritanSample

Has anyone ever asked you a simple question, but it was obvious they were actually trying to ask something else? My own children do this all the time. If my son walks into the kitchen after school and sees his sister eating dessert, he’ll ask, “Why does she get ice cream?” In an effort to help him recognize his true intentions, I’ll say, “What is it you’re really asking?” He pauses and then says, “Can I have some too?”

When a man—an expert in the law—asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus’ response revealed the man’s true intentions. The man wasn’t looking for wisdom; he was looking for limits. He wanted to know the minimum requirement for obedience. Surely there had to be a boundary line, people who counted as neighbors and others who didn’t.

Jesus responded with a story that stripped away all those boundaries. A man is beaten, robbed, and left half-dead on the side of the road. It’s a vivid picture of brokenness and need, and it’s more than a story about someone else. Spiritually speaking, this is us. Sin has left us helpless and hopeless, unable to save ourselves.

And just as the Samaritan will later stop and care for the man, God saw us in our need and acted with compassion. He sent Jesus to rescue us, not because we deserved it, but because His love knows no limits.

When we understand the depth of that rescue, it changes the way we see people. There is no one outside the bounds of God’s love, which means there should be no one outside the bounds of ours. Whether it’s a family member we’re in conflict with, a coworker who frustrates us, or someone whose lifestyle or background is different from ours, God calls us to see them as He sees us: valuable and in need of grace.

Reflect: Consider how easy it is to look for boundaries when it comes to loving others, deciding who deserves your time, attention or kindness. Reflect on how Jesus’ love has no limits and let the reality of your own rescue move you to see every person as someone worthy of love and compassion.

• Why do we naturally try to limit who we love?
• How does understanding your own rescue in Christ change the way you view others?
• Who in your life needs to experience God’s love through you this week?

Pray: Pray for discernment to recognize and resist self-centeredness, pride and hatred that pull you away from love.