Friday's Follow-up Verses
Luke 10:25-37
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d]”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Footnotes
[c] Luke 10:27 Deut. 6:5
[d] Luke 10:27 Lev. 19:18
[e] Luke 10:35 A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see Matt. 20:2).
Pondering Point
Note that the man wants to justify himself regarding his love for others. Do you find it ironic that his love for others is actually about himself? The sinful nature of humanity can turn anything, including love for others into something about ourselves.
Even our confessed love for God can be self-absorbed. But here’s another thought to contrast that reality: God can turn our self-absorbed love of others into truly sacrificial love for others – A Jesus-like quality to be sure.
Prayer
Father God, deliver us from merely “loving others” in order to virtue-signal or to persuade ourselves that we are loving people. Instead by your Holy Spirit enable us to love You as One worthy of love and to love our neighbors because You have said that they are to be loved. Let us learn to love for Your sake and for their sake, not for our sake. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.