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MEMORY VERSE

“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.”  Luke 10:33, KJV 

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“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.”  Luke 10:33, NIV 
 

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INTRODUCTION

Sometimes, people cite long lists of reasons they don’t want to give to a cause, participate in an event, or support a group effort. In most cases, it would be better for them to say they don’t want to participate in this activity and walk away instead of offering a list of weak excuses. Others love to talk, argue, and debate. They like to engage in unnecessary conversations. It is a type of verbal game for them. This happened in the introduction of our Lesson for this week (Luke 10:25-29). 

A lawyer asked Jesus a question about how to obtain eternal life. Jesus knew that his true motive for asking this question was not sincere. Some biblical scholars believe that he was trying to test Jesus. There could have been many reasons this lawyer wanted to converse with Jesus. Indeed, inheriting eternal life was not one of his reasons. When Jesus answered his first question, he disputed it with a rhetorical question: who is my neighbor? Jesus answers this second question with the parable of our Lesson today, the Good Samaritan. 

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DISCUSSION 

Our memory verse is the initial response of the Good Samaritan after he came upon a crime scene in which the victim was lying on the ground. This first responder, the Samaritan man, Is the unsung hero we celebrate this week. We don’t know his name, but we know his kind deeds. At first glance, the Samaritan took pity on the victimized man. The definition of pity is compassion, mercy, kindness, understanding, and sympathy. All of these feelings deeply touched his heart as he assessed this situation. Next, he took his heartfelt empathy to level two and jumped in. He acted on his compassion. He cleaned, treated, and bound up the injured man’s wounds with his own supplies. Oil and wine were used as medical treatments for wounds and lacerations. Lastly, he took his heartfelt empathy to level three; he paid for his continuing care and rehabilitation.

The Samaritan carries the man to a hotel and leaves a type of credit voucher for any future expenses the man’s recovery care would require. Compassionate love can be expensive. The Apostle John taught, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, !et us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” (| John 3:17-18). The Samaritan’s support was generous, and that kept the letter and spirit of the law. “Whatever he needs” was the limit of His mercy. Jesus commands his disciples very specifically: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). Jesus defines our neighbor as whoever has a need. It doesn’t matter who they are. Jesus commands us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. 

It is important to note that two other men, a Priest and a Levite, also passed by this wounded man in our scripture text. They saw his needs and chose not to help. The question is raised: Are we to be Christian “do-gooders” who open our hearts to opportunistic people to take unfair advantage of our generosity? No. The Holy Spirit partners with us and will lead and guide us in all things, including our giving. God wants you to take care of yourself first and be willing to share with others when it is possible. Do not allow anyone to force you to give when you don’t feel an inner peace about giving at that particular time. I’m still referring to all the gifts you can give your time, abilities, skills, talents, and money. Be happy to give when you can do so. Be satisfied when you don’t have anything to give, knowing that, in the future, God will supply the means to give again. God loves a cheerful giver and gives seeds to everyone who desires to plant them. It is the Law of Seed Time and Harvest. 

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CONCLUSION 
Giving is such an essential part of the life of believers. Whether you are blessed to give a small or a big amount, we want ours to be ready to give generously when they are blessed. This week, we discuss the story of the Good Samaritan who gave generously to meet the needs of a wounded man. His heart was touched with compassion, and he acted accordingly. He did not consider the ethnicity of this man. The Good Samaritan helped him and paid the bill for his recovery.​​​

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​​​QUESTIONS

1.    What does the parable of the Good Samaritan teach us about love, mercy, and selfishness? 

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2.    Have you ever been a Good Samaritan for anyone? Share a time when you could emulate the Good Samaritan by “doing likewise”? 
 

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