Love in Action: The Good Samaritan's Call

 

Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound connection between loving God and loving our neighbors, as illustrated in the parable of the Good Samaritan. This story, prompted by a lawyer's inquiry about eternal life, reveals that love for God and love for others are inseparable. Jesus emphasizes that our vertical love for God must manifest in horizontal love for those around us. The lawyer's quest for the "small print" of love—seeking to define who qualifies as a neighbor—leads Jesus to redefine love itself. He challenges us to extend love beyond the easy and familiar, even to those we might consider enemies.

The parable of the Good Samaritan serves as a powerful reminder that love is not just a feeling but an action. The Samaritan's compassion, described by the Greek word "splanchnizomai," signifies a deep, gut-wrenching empathy that moves us to act. Unlike the religious officials who passed by the wounded man, the Samaritan's heart was moved, leading him to help. This story warns us against the danger of outward religiosity breeding inward apathy. True discipleship requires us to share Jesus' heart for those in need, moving from apathy to action.

We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, allowing His love to flow through us into the world. This mission is not limited to the confines of the church but extends into the messiness of everyday life. By refusing apathy and choosing to share Jesus' heart, we can make a significant impact for the kingdom of God. As we reflect on this message, let us remember that while we cannot do everything, we can each do something. Together, we can change the world by being the Good Samaritans of our time.

Key Takeaways:

1. Love in Action: Love for God and love for others are intrinsically linked. We cannot claim to love God without loving those around us. This interconnectedness calls us to express our love for God through practical acts of kindness and compassion toward others. [06:32]

2. The Power of Compassion: The Greek word "splanchnizomai" describes a deep, visceral compassion that moves us to action. This is the kind of love Jesus demonstrated and calls us to emulate. It is not enough to feel compassion; we must act on it. [10:56]

3. Apathy vs. Love: For followers of Christ, the opposite of love is not hate but apathy. Apathy is a silent killer of compassion, blinding us to the needs of others and whispering that we cannot make a difference. We must reject apathy and choose to be moved by the needs around us. [15:35]

4. Sharing Jesus' Heart: To sustain a life of discipleship, we must share Jesus' heart for those in need. This means allowing God to fill our hearts with His love, enabling us to respond to the world's needs with compassion and action. [16:59]

5. Everyone Can Do Something: While we cannot solve all the world's problems, each of us can do something. By taking small, meaningful actions, we can collectively make a significant impact. This principle encourages us to focus on what we can do rather than being overwhelmed by what we cannot. [26:30]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Introduction and Humor
- [00:40] - Personal Background
- [02:51] - Opening Prayer
- [03:09] - The Importance of Small Print
- [04:24] - The Lawyer's Question
- [05:56] - The Good Samaritan Story
- [07:09] - Love for God and Neighbor
- [09:11] - Love in Two Directions
- [10:18] - Understanding "Splanchnizomai"
- [12:41] - The Samaritan's Compassion
- [15:17] - Apathy vs. Love
- [17:35] - Implications of the Parable
- [21:22] - Go and Do Likewise
- [26:30] - Everyone Can Do Something
- [34:26] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Good Samaritan

Bible Reading:
1. Luke 10:25-37 (The Parable of the Good Samaritan)
2. Deuteronomy 6:5 (Love the Lord your God with all your heart)
3. Leviticus 19:18 (Love your neighbor as yourself)

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Observation Questions:

1. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, what actions did the Samaritan take that demonstrated his compassion? How did these actions differ from those of the religious officials? [12:41]

2. What question did the lawyer ask Jesus that prompted the telling of the Good Samaritan parable, and how did Jesus initially respond to him? [05:02]

3. How does Jesus redefine the concept of "neighbor" through the parable, and what implications does this have for the lawyer's understanding of who he is obliged to love? [05:56]

4. What does the Greek word "splanchnizomai" mean, and how is it significant in understanding the Samaritan's actions? [10:56]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the interconnectedness of loving God and loving others challenge the lawyer's initial understanding of the law? What does this suggest about the nature of true discipleship? [06:32]

2. Why might Jesus have chosen a Samaritan as the hero of the story, and what message does this send about the boundaries of love and compassion? [08:04]

3. How does the concept of "splanchnizomai" deepen our understanding of what it means to be moved by compassion? In what ways does this challenge superficial expressions of care? [10:56]

4. What does the sermon suggest about the dangers of apathy in the life of a believer, and how does this relate to the actions of the religious officials in the parable? [15:35]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you felt moved by compassion but did not act. What prevented you from taking action, and how might you respond differently in the future? [16:40]

2. Identify someone in your life who might be considered a "difficult to love" person. What practical steps can you take this week to show them love and compassion? [08:22]

3. Consider the areas in your life where apathy might be present. How can you actively work to replace apathy with compassion and action? [15:56]

4. How can you ensure that your love for God is visibly expressed through your actions toward others? What specific actions can you take this week to demonstrate this love? [06:32]

5. The sermon emphasizes that everyone can do something, even if they can't do everything. What is one small, meaningful action you can take this week to make a difference in your community? [26:30]

6. How can you cultivate a heart that shares Jesus' compassion for those in need? What spiritual practices or disciplines might help you in this journey? [16:59]

7. Reflect on the statement, "The opposite of love is not hate but apathy." How does this perspective change the way you view your interactions with others, and what changes might you need to make in your daily life? [15:35]

Devotional

Day 1: Love as a Tangible Expression
Love for God and others is inseparable, calling us to express our devotion through tangible acts of kindness and compassion. The parable of the Good Samaritan illustrates this profound connection, showing that true love is not just a feeling but an action. When we claim to love God, it must be evident in how we treat those around us. This interconnectedness challenges us to move beyond mere words and into the realm of practical, everyday actions that reflect God's love. [06:32]

"By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" (1 John 3:16-17, ESV)

Reflection: Identify one person in your life who could benefit from a tangible act of kindness today. What specific action can you take to demonstrate God's love to them?


Day 2: Compassion that Compels Action
The Greek word "splanchnizomai" describes a deep, visceral compassion that moves us to action. This is the kind of love Jesus demonstrated and calls us to emulate. It is not enough to feel compassion; we must act on it. The Good Samaritan's response to the wounded man exemplifies this, as his heart was moved to help, unlike the religious officials who passed by. This challenges us to let our compassion lead to meaningful actions that reflect Jesus' love. [10:56]

"Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind." (1 Peter 3:8, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a situation where you felt compassion but did not act. What held you back, and how can you overcome this barrier to act on your compassion next time?


Day 3: Rejecting Apathy for Active Love
For followers of Christ, the opposite of love is not hate but apathy. Apathy is a silent killer of compassion, blinding us to the needs of others and whispering that we cannot make a difference. We must reject apathy and choose to be moved by the needs around us. The parable of the Good Samaritan warns against outward religiosity breeding inward apathy, urging us to move from apathy to action in our discipleship journey. [15:35]

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on an area of your life where apathy has crept in. What steps can you take today to reignite your passion for serving others?


Day 4: Embracing Jesus' Heart for the Needy
To sustain a life of discipleship, we must share Jesus' heart for those in need. This means allowing God to fill our hearts with His love, enabling us to respond to the world's needs with compassion and action. The Good Samaritan's story calls us to embody Jesus' love, moving beyond apathy and into a life of active service and empathy for others. [16:59]

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2, ESV)

Reflection: Consider a specific need in your community. How can you align your heart with Jesus' and take action to address this need?


Day 5: The Power of Small Actions
While we cannot solve all the world's problems, each of us can do something. By taking small, meaningful actions, we can collectively make a significant impact. This principle encourages us to focus on what we can do rather than being overwhelmed by what we cannot. The parable of the Good Samaritan reminds us that every act of kindness counts and contributes to the kingdom of God. [26:30]

"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." (Hebrews 13:16, ESV)

Reflection: What is one small action you can take today to make a positive impact in someone's life? How can you make this a regular practice?

Quotes

"Jesus says that that love for God that vertical love and that horizontal love for the people round about us are intrinsically interconnected. You can't separate the call to love God passionately from the call to love other people practically." [00:06:32]

"Love for our neighbor is made possible through love for God and love for God is made visible through love for our neighbor. So did you get that? Our love for God is made visible in her love for her neighbor and her love for our neighbors is made possible through a love for God." [00:07:09]

"Jesus is teaching that we're called to love not just to nice people, not just the easy to love people, but when he chose Jewish people and Samaritans to be involved in this story, you know that Jewish people and Samaritans didn't get on. They were enemies, and he's reminding us of something that he said elsewhere that love even has to extend to difficult to love people and even to people who might count themselves as our enemies." [00:09:11]

"Jesus is saying when it comes to love of God and love of other people, they go together and you can't have one without the other. And so what Jesus is doing is just reminding us that as his disciples and citizens of the kingdom of God, we are called to love in two directions: to love God and to love other people." [00:10:18]

"There's one Greek word that is my favorite... it is most often used to describe the emotions of Jesus. So eight out of the 12 times it's used, it's about how Jesus feels when he meets people in need. So in Luke 7:13, we're told that Jesus meets a woman who's mourning over her dead son and it says that his heart overflowed with compassion." [00:12:41]

"The cries of the wounded man on the Jericho Road went unheeded because the hearts of the religious people went unmoved. The religious leaders looked at the man, they saw his need, but they didn't do a thing because the truth is he just didn't care enough." [00:15:17]

"Outward religiosity can easily breed inward apathy. Did you hear that? That an outward religiosity can breed an inward apathy. And think about it, these men gathered with God's people, they signed God's Praises, they knew God's work, but the sad truth is on the Jericho Road it was revealed that they weren't filled with God's love." [00:16:59]

"We will never be moved from apathy to action until we start to share Jesus' Heart for those in need. And here's a spiritual principle: I think this story for those of us who are Jesus' disciples means that we're never going to be committed to the mission of the kingdom of God until we share God's heart for people in need." [00:17:35]

"No church, no Christian can remain content with easy definitions of Love which allow us to watch most of the world lying half dead in the road. I want to tell you it's our 80th anniversary. How did math start? Well, it started with these two men Stuart King and Jack Heming both were RF officers and through the war they had seen the terrible destruction the aircraft could bring that it could take life." [00:21:22]

"Jack in the very early days of ma said that he wanted the organization to be the Good Samaritan of the air and I think that's what we've been calling. And so at the end of this Parable Jesus has got a punch line. He never just told these stories, they always had a point and he's got a point for us. He said go and do likewise." [00:26:30]

"Jesus is reminding us that the kingdom of God can't be contained in the walls of the church. He wants his kingdom to spill out into the messiness of every dear life through us, amen, his people. He's reminding us that the kingdom of God comes in those everyday encounters, those moments when we refuse apathy and choose to share Jesus' Heart so that we can become Jesus' hands to the people that we encounter." [00:28:49]

"Everyone can do something and together we can change the world. You know that the Good Samaritan probably couldn't have ended mugging on the Jericho Road. He couldn't maybe have helped everyone who got mocked, but he did help someone. There is always one thing we could do this week, there might be just one thing you can do." [00:34:26]

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Transcript
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