[Oct 12, 2025] Limitless Love

Thank you, Father, for your joy and for the gift of Jesus, who is our everything. In Him, we find our true identity and the strength to love beyond our own limits. Today, we explored the heart of the parable of the Good Samaritan, focusing on the great commandment: to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. This commandment is not just a rule to follow, but a force that expels darkness from our lives and the world around us. When we love as God calls us to, we push back the darkness that tries to take hold—whether it’s in our own hearts, in our relationships, or in our communities.

The story of the Good Samaritan challenges us to examine the boundaries we place around love. The religious leaders in the parable—those who should have embodied compassion—passed by the wounded man, limited by their own interpretations of purity and law. But the Samaritan, an outcast himself, was moved by compassion and crossed every social and religious boundary to care for the wounded man. Jesus’ teaching here is clear: the great commandment has no loopholes and no limits. We are not to justify ourselves by narrowing the definition of “neighbor” or by deciding who is worthy of our love.

We are reminded that love sometimes requires boundaries, especially in situations of abuse or harm, but it never allows us to withhold compassion or to dehumanize others. The parable also invites us to see ourselves in both the wounded man and the Samaritan. Jesus, in His compassion, is the one who binds up our wounds, but He is also the one who became the outcast, suffering at the hands of others so that we might have life. As we follow Him, we are called to love without limits, to let go of resentment, and to allow the Holy Spirit to empower us to love even those who are hardest to love. In doing so, we reflect the limitless love of God to a world in desperate need.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Love that Expels Darkness: Loving God and our neighbor is not just a moral duty; it is a spiritual weapon that drives out darkness. When we choose love, even in the face of evil or hostility, we participate in God’s work of pushing back the forces that seek to destroy and divide. This kind of love is active, courageous, and transformative, both for us and for those around us. [09:14]
• 2. No Loopholes in Love: The great commandment does not allow for loopholes or exceptions. Like the lawyer in the story, we may be tempted to justify ourselves by limiting who qualifies as our neighbor, but Jesus dismantles these boundaries. True obedience to God’s command means loving without discrimination or self-justification, even when it is uncomfortable or costly. [14:32]
• 3. Compassion Over Convention: The priest and the Levite in the parable were bound by religious convention, but the Samaritan was moved by compassion. Jesus calls us to prioritize mercy over ritual, to see the person in need rather than the rules that might excuse us from helping. Compassion is the mark of true neighborliness and the evidence of God’s love at work in us. [21:25]
• 4. The Outcast Serves the Outcast: The Samaritan, himself marginalized, becomes the one who brings healing to another outcast. This reversal challenges our assumptions about who God uses and who is worthy of love. Often, those who have experienced rejection or pain are best equipped to show deep compassion to others, reflecting the heart of Christ who identifies with the broken and the wounded. [24:14]
• 5. Jesus, Our Wounded Healer: In the parable, we can see Jesus both as the compassionate Samaritan and as the one who fell among thieves. He knows our wounds and binds them up, but He also became the outcast, suffering and dying so that we might be restored. Our identity is found not in our failures or status, but in the limitless love and sacrifice of Jesus, who calls us to love as He has loved us. [25:41]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:49] - Opening Prayer and Introduction
• [01:13] - The Limits Joke and Parable Series Introduction
• [03:26] - Why Parables? “Say What?” Moments
• [04:09] - The Heart of the Good Samaritan Parable
• [05:09] - The Great Commandment in Scripture
• [06:20] - The Lawyer’s Question and Jesus’ Response
• [08:06] - The Scribe and the Lawyer: Different Motives
• [09:14] - Love Expels Darkness: The Sending of the 72
• [12:13] - A Story of Love Overcoming Darkness
• [14:32] - No Loopholes: The Lawyer’s Test
• [17:20] - The Parable of the Good Samaritan Begins
• [20:00] - The Priest and Levite Pass By
• [21:25] - The Samaritan’s Compassion
• [24:14] - The Outcast Serves the Outcast
• [25:41] - Jesus as the Wounded Healer
• [27:05] - Called to Love Without Limits
• [36:08] - Praying for Those Hard to Love
• [36:59] - Honoring First Responders
• [37:58] - Closing Blessing and Prayer

Bible Reading

Luke 10:25-37 (ESV) — > And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 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.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
> But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
> 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. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 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. 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.’
> Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (ESV) — > “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

Leviticus 19:18 (ESV) — > “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

Observation Questions

1. In the parable, who are the three people that encounter the wounded man, and how does each respond to his need? (Luke 10:30-35)
2. According to the sermon, what reasons might the priest and the Levite have had for passing by the wounded man? [20:00]
3. What question does the lawyer ask Jesus that leads to the telling of the parable, and what is his motive for asking it? [14:32]
4. What does the Samaritan do for the wounded man that goes beyond just basic help? (Luke 10:33-35)

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus chose a Samaritan—a person considered an outcast by the Jews—to be the hero of the story? What message was He sending to His audience? [21:25]
2. The lawyer wanted to “justify himself” by asking, “Who is my neighbor?” What does this reveal about the human tendency to limit love, and how does Jesus challenge that tendency? [14:32]
3. The sermon says, “The great commandment has no loopholes and no limits.” What are some modern ways people try to create loopholes or limits around who they love? [16:40]
4. The pastor mentioned that love sometimes requires boundaries, especially in situations of abuse or harm. How can we balance having healthy boundaries with not withholding compassion or dehumanizing others? [23:28]

Application Questions

1. The sermon said, “Love that expels darkness” is not just a moral duty but a spiritual weapon. Can you think of a time when choosing to love someone actually changed the atmosphere or situation for the better? What happened? [09:14]
2. Are there people or groups in your life that you find yourself putting limits on when it comes to love or compassion? What would it look like to “go and do likewise” as Jesus commands? [22:36]
3. The lawyer wanted to justify himself by narrowing the definition of “neighbor.” Is there someone in your life right now that you are tempted to exclude from your definition of “neighbor”? What is one step you could take to move toward them in love this week? [14:32]
4. The pastor shared that sometimes love requires boundaries, especially in cases of abuse or harm. Is there a relationship in your life where you need to set a healthy boundary, but still show compassion? What might that look like? [23:28]
5. The sermon described Jesus as both the compassionate Samaritan and the one who was wounded and left for dead. How does seeing Jesus in both roles affect the way you view your own wounds and the way you respond to others who are hurting? [25:41]
6. The pastor asked, “Who is the person in your life right now that’s hard to love?” Take a moment to identify someone. What is one practical way you can pray for or bless that person this week? [36:08]
7. The Samaritan crossed social and religious boundaries to help someone in need. Is there a “boundary” in your life—maybe a fear, prejudice, or past hurt—that you need to cross in order to love someone as Jesus calls us to? What’s holding you back, and what’s one step you could take? [21:25]