Sermons

July 3, 2022

Luke 10:25-27
The Parable of the Good Samaritan

How easy it is to excuse ourselves when we see someone in need by thinking, “There’s no reason why I should get involved.  Those people are strangers, and I have no obligation to them.”  Scripture doesn’t let us off that easily.  Obviously, we can’t help every needy person we come across.  Or can we?  We can at least pray!  At any rate, the lawyer’s restatement of Lev 19:18 (Luke 10:27) and Christ’s response (10:28) show that in fact, we do have an obligation to strangers—even though we’ve made no commitments to them.  As Jesus goes on to show in the parable of the Good Samaritan (10:29-37), we who intend to follow him have a responsibility to everyone in the human race, because everyone is our neighbor.  We are to demonstrate mercy to all (10:37).  Or, as Paul later wrote, “do good to all” (Gal 6:10).