Luke 10:25-37

Summary: Jesus likely could have gotten dragged into a lengthy debate with this lawyer over who is and who is not a ‘neighbour.’ However, Jesus avoids the frivolous argument with this famous parable. The priest and Levite decided that it was too costly to stop and help this man (who may very well have been dead anyway for all they knew). The despised Samaritan decided otherwise, and at great expense to himself. Compassion can be a costly emotion, if we dare to follow where it leads. In this parable, Jesus not only teaches us what it means to love our neighbour (and who our neighbours are), he gives us a picture of his own ministry. We are the desperate ones in the ditch who have been shown a tremendously costly compassion by a despised and rejected Saviour.