The Neighbor Debate
Luke 10:25-37
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35 And the next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
Look at the characters in the story: the priest, the Levite, the Samaritan, the man who was beaten.
Who might these people be today?
What if the injured person were someone from a different ethnic group than yours? Would you stop to help?
Why do you think the two Jews walked away from him?
Describe the Samaritan.
Why was it so unusual for him to stop and tend to the man’s wounds?
What did the lawyer learn from this parable?
What lessons did you learn from this parable?
How can we all express more compassion and care for one another?
What kind of person needs to hear the story that Jesus told to the lawyer?
What are people like who love God with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind?
How do they relate to other people?
How would you apply this story to your own life?
How does Jesus want us to live?