Real compassion crosses lines and stops to help someone in need.
“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)
What does “Samaritan” mean in Luke 10:33?
In Jesus' story, a priest and a Levite pass by an injured man. A Samaritan, a person despised by many Jews, stops and helps. Jesus holds him up as the example.
Going deeper
Jesus tells of a man robbed and left half dead on the road. Two religious leaders pass by. Then, a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him. The Samaritan had every reason to keep going. He was a foreigner in that place and belonged to a group the injured man's people looked down on. Yet he saw and he felt compassion, and compassion led him to act.
The story turns our question around. We ask who our neighbor is, and Jesus shows what it means to be one. The Samaritan did not choose the time or the person. He responded to the need in front of him. Consider who you have walked past recently, perhaps someone whose problem seemed too inconvenient. Ask God to give you the eyes to see and the will to stop. Being a neighbor often costs time and comfort, and it is one of the clearest ways to reflect Jesus.
Reflect
Whom might you have passed by recently, and how could you stop for them this week?
Pray
Lord Jesus, give me the compassion of the Samaritan. Open my eyes to those in need, and make me willing to stop and help. In Jesus' name, amen.
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