Luke 10:30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Introductory Thoughts

The Lord expects His followers to demonstrate the same compassion that He has for His creation. Perhaps, the best biblical example is the Samaritan mentioned in Luke chapter 10. The story begins with a man who took a journey to Jericho. On his way, evil men robbed and wounded him. As he struggled for his life, lying on the ground, a priest passed by him. The priest saw the man but passed on the other side. A Levite came and did likewise. Then a Samaritan (a person who was partly Jewish yet bitterly despised by the Jewish people) approached the man in need. Unlike the others, this man stopped and helped the injured man. He bound up the wounds, placed the man on his beast and took him to an inn. He paid for the inn and offered to pay any additional expenses.

Devotional Thoughts

  • (For children): Jesus cares for others and wants us to do the same. If you saw someone get hurt, what should you do? How could you help if a friend was sick or lost his toy? How would he feel if you did not help?
  • (For everyone): What are some reasons the men might offer for deciding to pass by the man in need? Would you offer similar reasons? Are these reasons good reasons for failing to help or just excuses?
  • Since we understand that compassion is suffering with someone, in what ways did the Samaritan show compassion? What did he provide that he might otherwise have used for himself?

Prayer Thoughts

  • Ask God to help you give of yourself when you see others in need of help.
  • Ask the Lord to help you care more for others by putting them first.

SONG: TBD