“Love Your Enemies, This is Not a Choice” Week 6 (Luke 10:25-37)

In this parable, a man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and he was robbed. They stripped him, beat him, and left him for dead. It was terrible. The Priest and the Levite pass by and they do nothing, but then a Samaritan comes by, and he feels Compassion for the half-dead man. He cared for him. He was not too busy to feel compassion. He immediately stops and helps. The Good Samaritan bandages his wounds with oil and wine, which were both expensive. The Samaritan picks the dying man up, puts the man on his own donkey, takes him to an inn, and cares for him. The next day the Samaritan takes two days' wages and gives it to the innkeeper and says “Please, take care of him while I am gone and whatever more you spend above what I have given you. I will repay you when I return.” What Compassion!

Jesus’ point must have been well received because when Jesus asks the lawyer “Which of these men proved to be a neighbor to the man who was robbed?” The expert of the law can’t even bring himself to say the word Samaritan, so he says “The one who showed mercy.” And he was correct. Jesus finishes the parable with the command “Go and do the same.” This command applied to the Jewish expert in the law and it applies to us today as well. The overarching point is: “Love your Neighbor, even if they are your enemy.” Love your neighbor even if you feel hatred toward them. The radical command to love your neighbor applies even to those you might consider an enemy.