The point of the Good Samaritan story is not that the Samaritan man was any more “good” than anyone else. There is no indication that he was richer or smarter or more faithful than the other characters. He simply saw someone who needed help and took the time to help him. That’s how God wants us to love our neighbors—to treat them with the kindness and care we would want someone to give us in any situation.
He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.”
The story of the Samaritan sets a scene in which a man was attacked on a journey—perhaps a place where robbers were known to take advantage of people. He used his own money and risked his own safety and delayed his own journey. He did all this to help a man he didn’t know. What would you be willing to do to help someone in need?
It might be unlikely that you will come across any person who has been attacked by robbers (we hope not!), but every day you probably see people who need encouragement, who need help with finding information, or who just need a hand to do simple chores. Pay attention to the people around you this week and look for a way to show someone the love of Jesus, like the Samaritan in the story.
God, thank You for giving us examples of what it means to love our neighbors. Amen.