Our Only Hope By Phil Chapman

Jul 05, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Lawyer’s Impossible Question: “Do This and You Will Live”

A religious expert asks how to earn eternal life, only to hear Jesus affirm the law’s full demand: perfect love for God and neighbor. The crushing weight of this standard exposes our inability to achieve righteousness through personal effort. Jesus’ reply strips away illusions of self-sufficiency, revealing our need for intervention. Eternal life cannot be inherited through checklists but requires radical dependence. This moment reframes the entire parable as a mirror for our spiritual poverty. [02:41]

“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.” (Luke 10:27, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you substituted checklists for authentic love? How does Jesus’ answer both unsettle and free you from performance-based faith?

Day 2: Justifying Ourselves in the Shadow of the Ditch

The lawyer’s question “Who is my neighbor?” betrays his desire to limit love’s reach. Like him, we often negotiate mercy’s boundaries to protect comfort or reputation. Jesus responds with a story that shatters tribal loyalties and social hierarchies. True neighbors defy categories, showing mercy to those deemed “other.” The parable confronts our instinct to justify half-hearted obedience while avoiding costly compassion. [10:36]

“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.” (Luke 10:33-34a, ESV)

Reflection: What relationships or groups trigger your “justification reflex”? How might crossing one social barrier this week embody Christ’s mercy?

Day 3: Oil, Wine, and Two Denarii: The Currency of Mercy

The Samaritan’s care costs time, resources, and cultural capital. He spends two days’ wages—equivalent to months of lodging—without guarantee of repayment. Jesus highlights active verbs: going, binding, pouring, carrying, staying. Biblical mercy moves toward need despite inconvenience, risking personal loss for others’ gain. This extravagant giving mirrors the Father’s heart yet exposes our transactional approach to kindness. [22:04]

“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.’” (Luke 10:35, ESV)

Reflection: When has mercy cost you something significant? What practical step could express “no-strings-attached” love to someone this week?

Day 4: Bleeding in the Ditch: Our True Spiritual Address

The stripped, nameless man represents every person’s state before Christ’s rescue. Unable to earn salvation or even cry for help, we lie exposed in our sin. Jesus becomes the ultimate Samaritan—hated yet compassionate—crossing cosmic divides to save enemies. The parable’s shock comes not from the hero’s actions but realizing we’re the ones needing resuscitation. [32:26]

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—” (Romans 5:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: How does seeing yourself as the rescued, not the rescuer, change your view of Christ’s sacrifice? Where might pride still mask your need for grace?

Day 5: The Innkeeper’s Charge: Living Under Promise

The Samaritan’s return pledge transforms temporary care into lasting commitment. Likewise, Christ’s resurrection guarantees His return to complete our healing. Our mercy flows not from obligation but anticipation—the same Savior who bandaged our wounds empowers us to tend others. Communion reminds us the price was fully paid, freeing us to love without keeping score. [36:30]

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20, ESV)

Reflection: How does Christ’s promised return shape your daily acts of compassion? What unfinished “innkeeping” task might He be calling you to steward today?

Sermon Summary

Luke sets the scene with a lawyer who stands up to test Jesus with a piercing question: what shall I do to inherit eternal life. Jesus sends him back to the Scriptures he knows by heart, and the lawyer answers with the Shema and its twin command: love God with all and love neighbor as self. Jesus replies, do this and you will live. The line lands like a hammer. The law does not lower the bar. It demands perfect, unbroken, all-in love for God and neighbor, not occasionally, but always.

The lawyer, wanting to justify himself, asks who is my neighbor. That instinct narrows love’s field so he can draw a line, exclude some people, and keep his checklist intact. Jesus refuses a definition and tells a story. A man travels the notoriously dangerous road from Jerusalem to Jericho, is beaten, stripped, and left half dead. He is unidentifiable, only a human being in desperate need. A priest sees and passes by. A Levite sees and passes by. Knowing the truth is not the same as living the truth.

A Samaritan sees and has compassion. The difference is not what is seen but what is done after seeing. Every verb in the story moves toward the wounded man: he went to him, bound his wounds, poured on oil and wine, lifted him onto his animal, brought him to an inn, cared for him, paid the bill, and promised to return. This is extravagant mercy. It costs time, comfort, supplies, transportation, and money, and it refuses the question what is the minimum. It asks, what does this person need right now.

Jesus then flips the lawyer’s question: who proved to be a neighbor. The answer is the one who showed mercy. The command go and do likewise presses past prejudice to the very people a heart would rather avoid. Yet the opening question still stands. If eternal life requires perfect love, who can stand. The Samaritan is a beautiful example, but not the hope. Read the story backward: the sinner lies in the ditch, helpless to save himself. Jesus is the true Neighbor who crosses the road, has compassion, pays the unpayable debt, and promises to return. Eternal life is not a checklist but Christ’s finished work. Having been rescued, forgiven, and filled with the Spirit, the church is freed to go and do likewise, not to earn life, but because life has been given.

Key Takeaways

1. Eternal life demands perfect love [04:17] This is not about being relatively good. Do this and you will live exposes the impossibility of self-salvation because the law requires flawless love for God and neighbor. The command uncovers need, not competence, and pushes the soul to grace. The law is a mirror, not a ladder. [04:17]
2. Self-justification narrows love’s reach [12:55] The impulse to ask who is my neighbor tries to draw a small circle that keeps love manageable. That instinct looks for loopholes, not opportunities. By seeking the boundary, the heart sidesteps obedience. Real repentance widens the circle and refuses to count the cost first. [12:55]
3. Mercy moves toward the wounded [20:55] Biblical compassion takes steps, not just feelings. The verbs of love go to, bind, lift, carry, pay, and promise. Proximity matters because mercy is incarnational. Presence becomes part of the healing God works. [20:55]
4. Real compassion pays real costs [23:59] Extravagant mercy spends time, comfort, resources, and reputation. It does not ask for the minimum, it asks for the need. Love’s math looks wasteful to fear, but it is faithful to God. The cross teaches that saving love is always costly. [23:59]
5. Jesus is the true Neighbor and hope [33:42] The sinner is the one in the ditch, unable to rise. Christ crosses the road, bears the wounds, settles the debt, and pledges to return. Trust in him, not in moral effort, gives life. From his mercy flows the power to go and do likewise. [33:42]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:18] - Parables series and Good Samaritan
[02:41] - What must I do to inherit life
[03:07] - How good is good enough
[04:17] - Do this and you will live
[06:02] - Point 1: Hear the question
[10:18] - Point 2: Observe the problem
[12:55] - Where does love’s boundary end
[13:38] - Point 3: Practice mercy
[16:36] - Priest and Levite pass by
[20:55] - Samaritan compassion in action
[22:55] - Extravagant cost of mercy
[25:29] - Point 4: Embrace your only hope
[33:42] - In the ditch, Jesus crosses
[37:12] - Communion: remember and go likewise

Bible Study Guide

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

What two commands did the lawyer cite as the path to eternal life, and how did Jesus respond to his answer?
How did the Samaritan’s actions differ from the priest and Levite when encountering the wounded man? List specific verbs describing his response (e.g., “bound his wounds”).
What question did Jesus ask the lawyer at the end of the parable, and how did it reframe the lawyer’s original question about neighbors?

Interpretation questions

Why do you think the lawyer asked, “Who is my neighbor?” after Jesus affirmed the commands to love God and others? What does this reveal about his heart?
The Samaritan was a cultural and religious outsider to the Jews. Why might Jesus have chosen him as the story’s hero, and what does this teach about mercy?
Jesus said, “Do this, and you will live” (Luke 10:28). How does the parable expose the impossibility of perfectly fulfilling this command?

Application questions

The lawyer wanted to “justify himself” by narrowing love’s reach. Where do you catch yourself drawing lines to exclude people or situations that feel costly or uncomfortable? [12:55]
The Samaritan’s compassion involved tangible steps: binding wounds, paying expenses, and promising follow-up. What is one practical way you can move beyond feelings of pity to act toward someone in need this week? [20:55]
Mercy often costs time, resources, or reputation. When have you hesitated to help because you were counting the cost? How can Jesus’ example of “extravagant mercy” reshape your priorities? [23:59]
The parable ends with Jesus’ command: “Go and do likewise.” How does trusting in Christ’s perfect love (not your own efforts) free you to love others without fear of failure? [33:42]
Who is your “Samaritan”—someone you’re tempted to avoid or resent? What would it look like to move toward them with compassion instead of passing by?

Sermon Clips

60s

#SavedByGrace

“``Friends, our religion can't save us. Our own obedience of God's law falls extremely short. And I'm speaking for myself now. I I know that before I knew Jesus, I was I was dead in my sin, desperately in need of rescue. And friends, Jesus did not pass me by. He didn't pass me by. I wanted nothing to do with Jesus, I was running the opposite direction. Basically, I was Jesus' enemy. Jesus crossed the road. He came to where I was, and he had compassion on me. And that may be your story as well.”

71s

#NotTheHero

“see, I I think it's it's our human nature to wanna to wanna put us ourselves into the story as the hero, to put ourselves in the story as the good Samaritan. But what if we've been reading the story backwards? You see, I've read the story so many times even before starting to study for this and I just can't shake it that I'm the one who's lying in the ditch. Spiritually, the man that was beaten and bleeding and left for dead on the side of the road, helpless, unable to save myself, unable to earn eternal life, unable to to truly make myself right with God no matter how hard I I I would work or or do.”

49s

#RescuedAndRestored

“But here's the beautiful truth about the gospel. This is the beautiful truth about the gospel. Jesus doesn't just rescue us and and then and then say, okay. I've taken care of your wounds. I'm gonna leave you here on the side of the road. You take care of it from here. No. He takes care and heals our wounds. He he then he pays all of our debts way more than to denarii. And then he fills us with the holy spirit. And then he gets us back on our feet. He he lifts us up, puts us on our feet, and he and he gives the exact same command that he gave the lawyer. He says, okay. You're you're fully give forgiven. You're fully loved. Now you go and do likewise”

71s

#NeedASavior

“The Samaritan cared for the for the man's wounds, but Jesus cared for our deepest need. Jesus paid a debt far surpassing anything that we could ever even think about, pain. And one day, as the Samarit as he promised the Samaritan promised, one day Jesus is gonna return. The lawyer, he wanted this loophole, but Jesus just want him to recognize that he was in desperate need for a savior. You see, that's that's where the lawyer should have gone to when when when he gave the answer, it was a good answer. Deuteronomy six five, Leviticus nineteen eighteen. But he should have realized, I can't keep up with this. There's nothing I could do. No no no amount of task or deeds that I could do that I could ever keep up with this, Jesus. I need help. That's what he just said. I need help. And Jesus said, I'm here to help you, son.”

82s

#GraceNotGoodWorks

“And maybe you're hearing in this message, you know what? Pastor, I'm not I'm not sure where you're coming from, but but I'm a pretty good person. I'm pretty good. Pastor, I mean, literally yesterday, there was flooding going on at my neighbor's house, and I spent over five hours pumping out water. then when I got home, I grilled for my family. I mean, unbelievable. I am doing so much and I gave to the Red Cross. And there's so many other nice things I've done, pastor. And those are good. Right? Those are good. We want those things to happen. We want you to be doing those things practically speaking. But Jesus in this parable and Jesus in all of scripture is not teaching us about being a relatively good person. He's talking about a standard of absolute flawless perfection. And by that standard, every single one of us falls short.”

64s

#MoveTowardNotAway

“As as Jesus is asking this question about the Samaritan. Meaning, who who's the person that you're despising or or or you just you you kinda don't like? May maybe they have a a different political. They're on the other side of the aisle or something or or or they got a different background or different culture. Maybe they got a different worldview. They they live their life a lot different than me. Who's the person who you're at the grocery store and you're pushing the cart and you're you're you're so pumped about life and and I can't wait to make this meal. And and and and you get to the aisle and you do a double take and you see, oh, boy, there they are on the other side of the aisle, and you immediately turn around and you go the other direction. Maybe you even go check out cause you don't wanna risk even seeing them. That is probably your neighbor. That's the person that Jesus wants you to move toward.”

83s

#ExtravagantMercy

“It's an amazing story. Think about what Jesus is emphasizing in the story. Every verb in the story moves toward the wounded He went to him, bandaged his wounds, poured the oil, placed him on the animal, brought him to the inn, cared for his needs. He paid the bill. He he said, I promise I'm gonna return. And Jesus tells us exactly what he spent financially. Well, we we know the the oil and wine he gave up. He then spent 2 denarii, which was worth two days wages. And some scholars have suggested at a at a roadside inn like this that you could take care of of the the room, the board, the medical care for two months with 2 denarii. This wasn't just like a little tip. This was this was extravagant mercy. In today's time, there would have been thousands and thousands of dollars that he spent on a random person that he's he saw on the side of the street.”

77s

#KnowingIsntDoing

“Now if any one of the people should have stopped, it should have been this the priest, it should have been this guy. He he should have stopped. He knew God's law. Now in all the study and I have had there, there's been many that have suggested that the priest may have been worried about being ceremonially unclean because if he touched the man and he was dead, he would have to go through a whole process. I mean, that's certainly possible, I guess, but but Jesus never tells us that. All Jesus says is the priest saw him and he passed by. That's all he says. Then comes the Levite. likewise, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, what did he do? He passed by on the other side. Just like the priest, they both worked in the temple. They both knew God's word. They were supposed to serve people, especially if they were hurting at that point. That was their job. That was their calling. And yet, what did they do? They kept walking. Knowing the truth is not the same as living the truth.”

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Why is perfect obedience insufficient for eternal life

Our Only Hope By Phil Chapman

Devotional

Day 1: The Lawyer’s Impossible Question: “Do This and You Will Live”

Day 2: Justifying Ourselves in the Shadow of the Ditch

Day 3: Oil, Wine, and Two Denarii: The Currency of Mercy

Day 4: Bleeding in the Ditch: Our True Spiritual Address

Day 5: The Innkeeper’s Charge: Living Under Promise

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Our Only Hope By Phil Chapman

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