PARABLES: The Good Samaritan • Pathway Church Shorewood • 11/09/2025

Today, we explored the profound challenge and invitation found in Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan. The story begins with a religious expert seeking to define the boundaries of his responsibility—asking, “Who is my neighbor?”—hoping to limit the scope of his love. But Jesus refuses to let love be boxed in by categories, ethnicity, or convenience. Instead, He tells a story that shatters the boundaries of “us” and “them,” making the despised Samaritan the hero who embodies true neighborly love.

The parable exposes the human tendency to justify indifference, to “other” those who are different, and to measure the value of a life by its usefulness or convenience. The priest and Levite, religious men, pass by the wounded man, perhaps out of fear, busyness, or a sense of self-preservation. Their excuses echo our own: “It’s too risky, too inconvenient, someone else will help, it’s not my problem.” But Jesus points to the Samaritan, who sees not a problem but a person, and who is moved to costly, inconvenient compassion.

This story is not just a call to be nice or charitable. It is a radical redefinition of mercy. Mercy does not ask, “Are they my problem?” or “Are they worth it?” Mercy moves toward suffering, even when it is costly, inconvenient, or when the person in need has nothing to offer in return. Jesus challenges us to see every person—especially those society deems burdensome or without value—as bearing the image of God and worthy of sacrificial love.

But there is a deeper layer: we are first the wounded one in the ditch, helpless and half-dead, and Jesus is the true Good Samaritan who enters our suffering, pays the full cost, and carries us to healing. Because we have received this mercy, we are called to extend it. The cross is our price tag—proof of our value and the measure by which we are to value others.

In a world that measures life by utility and convenience, Jesus calls us to a kingdom ethic: to see, to stop, to carry, and to love, even when it interrupts our plans or costs us dearly. We are to be known by this kind of compassion, for it is the mark of those who have been rescued by Christ and now imitate Him.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Mercy Moves Toward Suffering, Not Around It True mercy does not avoid the suffering of others because it is inconvenient or uncomfortable. Instead, it moves toward those in pain, even when it costs us time, resources, or reputation. This is the kind of love that Jesus demonstrated for us, and it is the love He calls us to embody in a world that often looks away. [20:11]
• 2. The Value of a Life Is Not Measured by Usefulness Jesus rejects the world’s system of valuing people based on their productivity, convenience, or social worth. Every person, regardless of their state or ability to contribute, bears the image of God and is worthy of compassion and care. Our willingness to love the “least of these” reveals whether we truly understand the heart of God. [32:13]
• 3. We Are First the Wounded, Then the Samaritan Before we can truly love others, we must recognize that we are the ones who have been rescued by Christ. He entered our suffering, paid our debt, and carried us to safety. Only when we receive this mercy can we become agents of mercy, extending the same grace to those in need. [22:45]
• 4. Compassion Is Costly and Inconvenient Real love interrupts our schedules and demands personal sacrifice. If our compassion never costs us anything, it is not the kind of love Jesus modeled. The willingness to be inconvenienced for the sake of another is a mark of genuine discipleship and a reflection of Christ’s love for us. [28:17]
• 5. “Neighbor” Is a Calling, Not a Category Jesus transforms the question from “Who is my neighbor?” to “How can I be a neighbor?” Our responsibility is not to define the limits of our love, but to actively seek opportunities to show mercy to those God places in our path, regardless of their background or our own comfort. [16:51]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:35] - Introducing the Parable and Its Relevance
• [01:16] - The Expert’s Question: Eternal Life
• [02:42] - Knowing vs. Living the Command
• [03:21] - Who Is My Neighbor?
• [04:39] - The Limits of Love and Responsibility
• [06:33] - “Othering” and Exclusion in Religion
• [07:56] - The Parable Begins: The Wounded Man
• [09:49] - The Priest and Levite Pass By
• [11:43] - The Samaritan: The Unexpected Hero
• [14:53] - Costly Compassion: The Samaritan’s Actions
• [16:13] - Jesus’ Question: Who Was the Neighbor?
• [18:12] - Mercy in Action: Practical Implications
• [22:45] - Jesus as the True Samaritan
• [24:50] - Doing It for Jesus: The Least of These
• [28:17] - The Cost and Inconvenience of Love
• [32:13] - The Value of Life in God’s Eyes
• [34:11] - The Cross as Our Price Tag
• [35:40] - Prayer for Compassion and Sending Forth

Bible Reading

Luke 10:25–37 (ESV) — > 25 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 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.”

Observation Questions

1. What question does the expert in the law ask Jesus, and what is his motivation for asking it? ([03:21])
2. In the parable, what reasons might the priest and the Levite have had for passing by the wounded man? ([10:27])
3. What specific actions did the Samaritan take to help the wounded man, and what did these actions cost him? ([15:33])
4. How does Jesus change the original question from “Who is my neighbor?” to something deeper by the end of the story? ([16:51])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus chose a Samaritan—a person despised by the Jewish audience—as the hero of the story? What point was He making about the boundaries of love? ([12:19])
2. According to the sermon, what does it reveal about our hearts when we try to define or limit who our “neighbor” is? ([04:00])
3. The sermon says that before we can be the Samaritan, we are first the wounded one in the ditch. What does this mean about our relationship with Jesus and how we show mercy to others? ([22:45])
4. How does the world’s way of measuring the value of a life differ from the way Jesus teaches us to value people? ([32:13])

Application Questions

1. The priest and Levite may have had good excuses for not stopping—fear, busyness, or not wanting to get involved. When have you found yourself making similar excuses to avoid helping someone in need? What would it look like to respond differently next time? ([10:27])
2. The sermon says, “Mercy moves toward suffering, not around it.” Can you think of a situation in your life right now where you are tempted to “walk to the other side of the road”? What would it mean to move toward that person or situation instead? ([20:11])
3. Jesus calls us to see every person as bearing the image of God, not just those who are easy to love. Who in your life or community do you find it hardest to see as your “neighbor”? What is one step you could take to show them compassion? ([06:33])
4. The Samaritan’s compassion was costly and inconvenient. When has loving someone cost you something—time, money, reputation, or comfort? How did that experience shape your understanding of real love? ([28:17])
5. The sermon says, “We are first the wounded, then the Samaritan.” How does remembering your own need for mercy from Jesus change the way you look at people who are hurting or in need? ([22:45])
6. Jesus transforms “neighbor” from a category to a calling. What are some practical ways you can be a neighbor this week, especially to someone outside your usual circle? ([16:51])
7. The cross is described as our “price tag”—proof of our value and the measure by which we are to value others. How does this truth challenge the way you see yourself and others, especially those society might overlook or dismiss? ([34:11])