Jesus the Good Samaritan: Go and Do Likewise

Devotional

Day 1: From information to intimacy: formed by story and time

Between Christmas and the New Year, plans and goals pile up, and time feels thin. You are more than your to-do list; you are the sum of countless inputs and relationships, and God designed you for deep connection. Jesus does not rush you; He invites you to “come and see,” moving you from knowing about Him to knowing Him. As you reflect on your story, remember that He reveals Himself progressively, through daily presence as much as through big moments. Make room for Him, and let simple rhythms turn information into intimacy. [27:44]

Deuteronomy 6:4–5
Hear this: the Lord alone is your God. Love Him with everything you are—heart, soul, strength—and keep this love at the center of your life.

Reflection: As you set goals for the new year, where could you intentionally create time to be with Jesus rather than just learn about Him, and what simple change to your schedule would make that real this week?

Day 2: Ears to hear, eyes to see His kingdom

Jesus used parables—everyday stories laid beside spiritual reality—so truth could seep into the heart. Stories stick; they invite you to listen longer and ponder deeper. The purpose wasn’t to trick anyone but to reveal God’s kingdom to those willing to receive it. Still, some refuse to hear or see because they’ve already decided what God must be like. Ask for soft eyes and open ears so the Spirit can turn recognition into repentance and trust. [34:21]

Luke 8:9–10
When His followers asked about the stories, Jesus said, “You are being entrusted with the inner workings of God’s kingdom. Others hear only the parables, and though they see and hear, they miss what’s truly being shown.”

Reflection: When Scripture feels opaque, how might you slow your pace and ask Jesus questions instead of moving on, and what one question will you bring to Him today?

Day 3: Neighbor redefined: mercy crosses the road

A religious expert asked, “Who is my neighbor?” assuming he already had God figured out. Jesus turned expectations upside down: the ones with pedigree walked past the bleeding man, while the outsider stepped toward him with compassion. Neighbor is not about proximity or sameness; neighbor is the one who shows mercy. Mercy sees, stops, and acts—even when it’s inconvenient and across dividing lines. Let Jesus redefine “neighbor” in your heart and your calendar. [41:14]

Luke 10:33–37
A Samaritan traveled the same road, saw the wounded man, felt compassion, treated his wounds, carried him to shelter, paid for his care, and promised more. “Which one was a neighbor?” Jesus asked. The answer: “The one who showed mercy.” Jesus said, “Then go live like that.”

Reflection: Who is the “Samaritan” in your world—the person or group you tend to avoid—and what is one concrete way you could cross the road toward them this week?

Day 4: Jesus, the true Good Samaritan to the broken

We are the ones in the ditch—hurt, unable to rescue ourselves, passed by by self-righteous solutions. Jesus came our way, not avoiding our mess but entering it. He bound up our wounds, paid the full cost with His own life, and brought us into the care of His people so we could heal. He does not call you to climb out first; He lifts you while you’re still weak. Receive the One who sees you, carries you, and makes you well. [54:11]

John 1:14
The eternal Word became human and lived among us. We saw His glory—true, gracious, and faithful—and in Him God drew near to our need.

Reflection: Where do you feel most unable to climb out of the ditch right now, and how will you let Jesus tend that place—practically—through prayer, community, or asking for help?

Day 5: Go and do likewise: slow down and kneel

Those who have been rescued by Jesus are sent to love like Jesus. Put feet to your prayers: notice, stop, and serve. Make your work about His kingdom, bind up the brokenhearted, and share good news with gentleness. Availability is a spiritual practice—slow down to see, and be willing to kneel in the dirt with those who are hurting. Begin the year by committing your steps to mercy. [57:41]

Luke 10:37
After hearing which man showed mercy, Jesus said, “Go now and live the same way.”

Reflection: Looking at your actual weekly routes—home, work, school, errands—where could you build five extra minutes to notice and respond to someone’s need, and what day will you try it?

Sermon Summary

Between Christmas and the New Year, reflection and resolve often rise side by side. The focus here presses beyond resolutions to the deeper ways people are formed—by family, work, story, and place—and warns how easily a product-driven culture trains hearts to read people like price tags. People are not products. Made in God’s image, they are given for relationship, not appraisal. That sets the frame for Jesus’ use of parables: stories that both stick in the mind and unveil the kingdom to those willing to hear. Truth comes progressively—“Come and see. Come and be with Me”—not as trivia to master but as a life to enter.

Luke 10 puts that contrast into motion when a law expert stands to test Jesus with a question about inheriting eternal life. He answers with the right words—love God fully and love neighbor as self—and Jesus affirms the answer while exposing the heart: “Do this” continually and perfectly. Seeking a loophole, the scholar asks, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus answers with the Good Samaritan. A man lies half-dead on the Jericho road. A priest and a Levite, custodians of sacred things, pass by. A Samaritan—despised and religiously “wrong”—draws near, binds wounds, spends time and money, and promises ongoing care. Mercy, not pedigree, identifies the true neighbor. The law expert cannot even say “Samaritan,” only “the one who showed mercy.” Jesus: “Go, and do likewise.”

Beyond moral example, the story also opens as an allegory. Humanity lies in the ditch of sin, stripped and unable to rise. Religious performance passes by, but an unexpected Savior comes near. Jesus journeys our road, sees our condition, bears our cost, and brings us to the “inn” of His people, pouring the Spirit’s wine and oil, promising to finish what He starts. The invitation is clear: receive the mercy that saves, then embody the mercy that serves. In a year crowded with plans, slow down on the road. See, stop, kneel, bind, and bear. Eternal life is a gift to receive, and neighbor love is a life to practice.

Key Takeaways

1. Resist product-style judgments of people Treating people like commodities deforms the soul and suffocates compassion. God gives people for relationship, not appraisal, and love requires patient presence, not quick categorization. To love neighbors we must unlearn the reflex to read labels and learn to bear burdens. This is a counter-formation that takes time, attention, and humility. [27:44]
2. Jesus reveals truth progressively He invites disciples into proximity—“come and see”—so truth can be lived, not merely recited. Parables both lodge in memory and sift the heart: those who want life lean in; those protecting status resist. Spiritual understanding grows with obedience and nearness, not mere familiarity with religious content. [34:21]
3. Law-keeping without love falls short The scholar knew the right answer but sought a loophole to justify himself. Jesus’ “Do this” exposes the impossibility of perfection and drives the heart to mercy. Knowledge that doesn’t become practice becomes self-deception; love fulfills the law because it moves toward the wounded. [44:41]
4. Mercy reframes who our neighbor is The priest and Levite embody avoidance; the Samaritan embodies costly nearness. Neighbor is not defined by similarity, tribe, or convenience but by compassion in action. Love crosses boundaries, spends itself, and promises ongoing care, even when it’s inconvenient or misunderstood. [50:53]
5. Christ, the true Good Samaritan We are the broken on the road; He is the One who comes near. Jesus bears the cost, binds our wounds, pours the Spirit’s wine and oil, and places us among His people with provision for our healing. Receiving His mercy fuels a life of mercy—saved people “go and do likewise.” [54:11]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[27:44] - People Are Not Products
[31:01] - Stories That Shape a Life
[34:21] - Why Jesus Taught in Parables
[37:51] - Seeing and Hearing the Kingdom
[41:14] - A Lawyer Tests Jesus
[44:41] - Love God, Love Neighbor: No Loopholes
[48:07] - Priest and Levite Pass By
[50:53] - Samaritan’s Costly Compassion
[54:11] - Allegory: Christ the Good Samaritan
[57:41] - Invitation to Receive Mercy
[61:12] - Go and Do Likewise

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

- Luke 10:25-37

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

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.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Observation questions

In Luke 10, what two questions does the law expert ask Jesus, and how does Jesus answer each one?
List the concrete actions the Samaritan takes for the wounded man. How do these differ from what the priest and Levite do?
How is Jesus’ “Do this” explained as an ongoing command, not a one-time act? What does that imply about perfection and practice? ([44:41])
When Jesus asks, “Which of these three proved to be a neighbor?”, what answer is given—and what significant word does the law expert avoid saying? ([50:53])

Interpretation questions

If people are not products, why do hearts still drift toward reading people like labels and price tags? How does that habit choke compassion? ([27:44])
“Come and see. Come and be with Me.” What does it reveal about how truth is learned—that it’s lived up close, not just memorized from afar? ([34:21])
The law expert wanted to “justify himself.” What does self-justification look like today, and how does Jesus’ “Do this” expose our need for mercy? ([44:41])
Seeing the story as an allegory, how does receiving Christ’s mercy first empower a life of mercy toward neighbors? What changes when a person knows Jesus has come near, bound wounds, and promised care? ([54:11])

Application questions

Where do you most easily read people like price tags—work, home, church, online? Name one setting and one small counter-practice this week (learn a name, ask a story, give unhurried attention). ([27:44])
Think about a “road” you travel often (commute, school pickup, grocery aisle). Who might be “in the ditch” along that road? What would it look like to see, stop, kneel, bind, and bear in one specific way? ([50:53])
Be honest: where are you hunting for a loophole to avoid costly love (time, money, reputation)? Identify one loophole and one boundary-crossing act of mercy you can choose this week. ([44:41])
How could you move from knowing about Jesus to being with Jesus? Choose one “come and see” practice for the next 14 days (a set time with Scripture and prayer, serving with someone, apprenticing under a mature believer). Share your plan. ([34:21])
If you feel like the one in the ditch right now, what wound needs Jesus’ nearness? What step will you take to receive care (ask for prayer, talk with a leader, join a group, pursue counseling)? ([57:41])
Who is a “Samaritan” to you—someone different politically, culturally, or religiously? What is one tangible way you can show mercy or honor them this month? ([50:53])
In this new year, what is one concrete change that will help you “slow down on the road” (calendar margin, phone limits, an evening reserved for neighboring)? Name it and ask the group to help you keep it. ([01:01:12])

Sermon Clips

that's the most important question here today the most important question what must i do to inherit inherit eternal life see jesus has been on that jericho road he knows it's difficult he knows that we could not save ourselves he knows that down in that ditch at best we just wallow around in the dirt and the mud and the blood so not only has he been on that road but he's seen you [00:57:05] (37 seconds) #WhatMustIDo