SECTION 1 = 7 mins

5 MINS >> REFLECTION

PASS

According to the story told by Jesus in Luke 10:31-32, the priest and the Levite see a man on the side of the road who is in desperate need of help. Instead of stopping to help, they pass by on the other side. Like the real-life lawyer standing there talking with Jesus, they would know the Law of Moses. They, too, probably know what to do to inherit eternal life. The priest and Levite are dedicated servants of God. They work in the Temple. Their positions are spelled out in the Law. But, while on the road to Jericho, they miss an opportunity to be a neighbor, to love their neighbor.

Unfortunately, some days I’m like the priest and the Levite. Although I’ve never knowingly passed by someone half-dead on the side of the road, I have driven by a homeless person at a red light with a sign asking for money or food on my way to and from seminary. I’ve changed directions on a sidewalk to avoid a homeless person who might ask me for money or help. Encounters like this are disheartening. When they happen in real time, they feel more like interruptions than opportunities. They feel disruptive, unpredictable, inconvenient, uncomfortable, unsafe. I’m almost always caught off-guard. Unprepared. When the moment passes by, I feel guilty, ashamed, hypocritical, unfaithful. It happens so fast. I see the person. I predict and react. I pass by. I move to the other side, or turn around. Maybe it’s to relieve the tension, the stress, or the fear that I feel.

Indifference is sometimes the culprit. It’s a lack of interest or concern for another person. We construct a partially true story to minimize any compassion or mercy we might feel for them. We might convince ourselves the other person is unimportant or that our neighbor is not in need.

When the priest and Levite separately come across the wounded person, they are presented with an unexpected, unwanted, and inconvenient encounter. They, too, are tempted to make up a story about the situation. They may choose to stereotype, objectify, categorize, or cancel the wounded man. His needs, his life, his story, is unknown to them. It’s probably not their primary concern. There’s definitely a need for them to get involved but they seemingly avoid, ignore, or dismiss it. Like the lawyer, they can try to justify their actions. Taking an indifferent (apathetic, ambivalent) approach possibly relieves them from feeling something they don’t want to feel and that relieves them from doing something they don’t want to do. Maybe they’re too busy. Who knows? We can only speculate on why they passed by.

When I’m indifferent, I can squint my eyes or shift my gaze to remain emotionally distant to stay disconnected, disengaged. I might convince myself through a story I construct. For example: Their situation is not one that requires my help. Someone else will come along who is better equipped or more resourceful. It’s someone else’s turn to help. I’m tired, hungry, late, busy.

Ignoring, dismissing, or neglecting others through indifference can unknowingly become our default strategy. We become partial to some people and indifferent to others. Indifference makes it difficult to feel compassion. Compassion leads us toward others while indifference and fear leads us away from others.

When I fail to stop and help someone because of indifference, I try to rationalize what I’ve done (i.e., justify myself retrospectively). Do I have to help everyone that comes along? I might also feel guilty. Why didn’t I stop to help? Sometimes, I’m not even sure it was a conscious decision. It was more like an instinct, an intuition, something innate that took me away from the uneasiness or inconvenience of the situation. Reflecting, I wonder why my values and beliefs didn’t guide me. I’m supposedly someone who is in full-time ministry. Is it really “full-time” or is it 9-to-5, or is it selective in some other way?

Like the lawyer, I know what to do to inherit eternal life. Like the priest and Levite, however, I don’t always love my neighbor.

I think a doctor, nurse, or paramedic would instinctively stop to help someone who is injured. They’re trained to do that. They may even have an obligation to do so. The priest and Levite aren’t health care professionals. Some scholars argue that it’s debatable whether they were obligated to stop and help. That misses the point Jesus is trying to make. It’s not about duty or obligation. It’s about love. Is it the responsibility of a pastor, someone in ministry (full-time or not), or any Christian, to stop and help a seriously injured person? What about people who are not physically injured but have other serious needs? Where do we draw the line? Does love or compassion or mercy draw a line?

Fortunately, on some occasions, compassion has led me to stop and give to homeless people at a red light and on the sidewalk. Compassion has led me to serve homeless people in Atlanta as well as Gainesville, GA. I worked closely with a homeless person in my hometown for about two years. But, as I’ve already mentioned, I don’t always love my homeless neighbor. I make excuses. I justify myself. I obey my fear. I tolerate my indifference. I show partiality. I can relate to the Samaritan, the priest, the Levite, and the lawyer.

2 mins >> DIscussion questions + Prompts

Discuss the reflection reading above.

SECTION 2 = 10 mins

3 MINS >> read luke 10:25-37 (NRSV shown below)

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. 

“Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

He said to him,

“What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 

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 given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus,

“And who is my neighbor?” 

Jesus replied,

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, 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 while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said,

‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ 

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

He said,

“The one who showed him mercy.”

Jesus said to him,

“Go and do likewise.”

7 mins >> Discussion Questions + Prompts

• Read & discuss Leviticus 19:2, 18, 33.

• What are the key concepts of each verse?

• Why does the lawyer reference verse 18 when he answers Jesus?

SECTION 3 = 10 mins

5 mins >> Watch Bible Project’s AGAPE/Love

5 mins >> Discussion Questions + Prompts

• Share your thoughts about the video.

• How does ahavah relate to love as described in Luke 10:25-37?

• How does agape compare to ahavah & khesed (from Days 1 & 2)?

SECTION 4 = 10 mins

5 MINS >> READ NEFF’s Self-Compassion

5 MINS >> Discussion Questions & Prompts

• Share your thoughts about the article.

• How does it relate to Luke 10:25-37?

SECTION 5 = 15 mins

10 mins >> CREATIVE WRITING

• Compose a character sketch about the priest or the Levite. The links provide some basic info. Take the first few minutes to read about one of them. In your character sketch, include a few words about their backstory, personality traits, relationships, or typical routines. List what their values, beliefs, hopes, fears, & motivations might have been.

5 mins >> Discussion Questions + Prompts

• Share some insights from your character sketches.

• How does the character sketch help you understand the Good Samaritan story?

SECTION 6 = 8 mins

7 mins >> Discussion Questions & Prompts

• Discuss the ways in which God loves you.

• Take a moment to write down your answer.

1 min >> Prayer & DISMISSAL

• Jesus, Help us to live according to your word. Amen.