Show Mercy. Treat Kindly.

Today we’ve come to a passage in the scriptures that’s SUPER hard hitting.

In fact, when I looked up Luke 10:25-42 as our Lent passage for today, I literally yelled at Mita (who, by the way, sits 5 feet away from me in our shared office), “GAH - how am I supposed to talk about these 2 incredible stories all at once in just a few minutes?!”

She laughed and told me I better get to it, haha.

Before I even attempt to dive into one of these stories, though, I urge you to take a few minutes and slowly read them over yourself. They’re familiar passages which means that sometimes we miss the details as we skim them.

BUT!

God is alllllllways working new things together in our minds! So, with fresh eyes and ears, ask Him what newness you can learn today by reviewing these famous stories.

The first story we find in this passage is Jesus telling us, starting in Luke 10:25, the story of The Good Samaritan. Super familiar, right? I mean, no matter if you’re “churched” or not, you know this story - there are laws about it, jokes about it, and a sad but funny episode of Seinfeld all about it. It’s everywhere!

When I read these verses today, though, there was definitely something new that struck me.

BUT FIRST! A little background.

In The Good Samaritan story, Jesus creates an illustration to explain to a religious scholar how to receive eternal life. He comes up with a tale about a guy who gets mugged and all these “good” people who pass him by, steering clear of getting involved or even lending him a hand. Jesus then tells us that a Samaritan, someone who would have been at odds with this specific guy because of racial and cultural clashes, is the only one who stops to help.

And Jesus creates a very elaborate response by this fictitious Samaritan. He says the guy doesn’t just help - he goes far above and beyond what was needed by helping the guy up, tending to his injuries, and even seeing to it that he gets long-term care until he is fully healed.

Wow.

That’s what we have to do to receive eternal life?

I mean, how many of us are going to those lengths to help people - especially those we are seemingly at odds with in life???

Instead of staying stuck in my inadequacy thoughts, thinking there’s no way I could match this Samaritan’s efforts, here’s what I did think about. At the end of Jesus’ illustration about the lengths we should go to in order to love our neighbors, he basically asks the guy he’s talking with “Who of the people in my story showed up as a good neighbor?” In the NIV translation of Luke 10:37 the guy responds: “The one who had mercy on him.” So of course, Jesus tells him, “Go and do likewise.”

Soooooooo… what’s the big deal, Kyle, you may be thinking?!

I realized – instead of thinking about what feels like an insane length that this Good Samaritan goes to in order to help this stranger – Jesus is simply calling us to show mercy. In the Message translation, verse 37 reads: “The one who treated him kindly.”

Show mercy. Treat kindly.

Now those are words I can identify with and aim to achieve. Right?!

If you have mercy on someone, you’re simply letting them off the hook or are being kind to them somehow. Think about exhibiting qualities like compassion, forgiveness, and leniency. These are much more accessible to me when I break it down. Agreed?

Sometimes we read scripture and think: “Gosh, that seems far-fetched and out of reach for me to attain!” But when we take a beat, and unpack what Jesus says, we often find His advice much more attainable and accessible.

Loving our neighbors – anyone who is put in our path who may have a need – looks different and comes in all shapes and sizes.

Today it may be holding the door open for a stranger with too much in their hands. Later it may be actively listening to an actual neighbor who needs some loving attention. And tomorrow it may be deciding to open your home to a refugee or foster child. While those examples may seem extremely different from one another, they’re all exactly what Jesus means when He told this parable about The Good Samaritan.

So, the question isn’t if but how will you show up as a Good Samaritan today?

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind you that we’ve got TONS of fun opportunities to be a Good Neighbor in action with our Impact efforts. Check out our upcoming events here and consider flexing your Good Samaritan muscles with us soon.

Love you!

Kyle Moss

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