Daily Devotional For Thursday, October 15, 2026
Good morning Southside! I am following the One Year Chronological Bible reading suggestion and any Bible verses you see highlighted in bold (ex. John 3:16), means it is a link to that verse. All you have to do is click on the reference and it will take you to the verse online. Our daily devotional for today comes from the words of Jesus found in Luke 10:30-37.
You know this Scripture all too well as “The Parable of the Good Samaritan.” Let’s say you were in a hurry to get somewhere to have an important meeting with some people, but you were already running late. On the way you see someone in dire need of assistance, what would you do? Would you stop and help? Would you hope someone else would stop and help? Would you call 911 and hope “professionals” would get there to assist? Or, would you stop and help even though it would upset the people you’re meeting that you were really going to be very late? Universities and seminaries have actually put this to the test with fake reenactments to see what peoples’ responses would be. Sadly, most kept right on going, even those in seminary preparing to be pastors.
A lot of people in the church know this parable but they do not know the context for it. Jesus had been rejoicing over the way his Father had hidden the secrets of salvation from people who thought they were wise and revealed them instead to people with childlike faith. “And behold”—as if to prove the point that Jesus was making—“a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ ” (Luke 10:25).
In Jesus’ day, a Jewish lawyer was one who knew the Old Testament Law like the back of his hand. He was both a Bible scholar and a theologian. As a lawyer, this man wanted to apply the implications and teachings of the Old Testament Law to his personal life so that his life honored God. So, his question to Jesus is one of the most important questions anyone can ask the Lord. We know
In Israel, to be a lawyer was to be an expert in God’s law—a Bible scholar and a theologian. This man knew the laws of God from the Scriptures of the Old Testament, and he sought to apply them to daily life. In this case, his question dealt with a matter of supreme importance: eternal life. What could be more important to know than the way of everlasting life? All of us have questions about life, death, heaven, hell and eternity. Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:11 writes this, “He has also set eternity in their heart” (NASB).
At a glance it may appear that this Jewish lawyer was sincere, but he wasn’t. Luke tells us he had a sinful motivation behind his question to Jesus. He was putting Jesus, God in human flesh, to the test theologically. The first problem I see with his question is that he assumed eternal life was like an inheritance – something that he was entitled to have since he was a descendant of Abraham. Second, he assumed that somehow through his own good works he could obtain salvation. Many people today make the same false assumption. I have heard people say, “Well, I hope my good outweighs my bad so I get into heaven.” Jesus’ response to this lawyer was to quote two Old Testament laws that focus on attitude, that if is right, impacts actions: Deut. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18. Now these two laws this lawyer would know and this explains his pride and arrogance in Luke 10:29, “But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” (NASB).
Knowing how much Jews hated Samaritans, Jesus told a parable involving one. We have a Jewish man who has been beaten, stripped naked and left for dead on the side of a road. Two Jewish religious leaders passed him: one was a priest and the other a Levite. Both ignored his cry for help. Then a despicable and hated Samaritan saw the Jewish man and not only helped this man, but went the extra mile to make sure he was cared for in a local hotel, promising to cover all the expenses. So, look at Luke 10:36-37, ‘Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?’ (37) And he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same’” (NASB).
Did you notice that this Jewish lawyer hates Samaritans so much that when Jesus asked him who was the real neighbor according to Jewish law, he couldn't even bring himself to say, “The Samaritan.” He instead said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” So, the question comes to us: who is our “neighbor?” Is dsait only the person or family that lives on either side of our residence? Is our neighbor someone who has hurt us or our family? Is our neighbor someone who is the opposite of us politically, ethically, socially, and religiously and relationally?
“Where is the line Jesus,” right? If we draw lines, then agape is meaningless and the love of God is not in us no matter what we say. This was Jesus’ point to this Jewish lawyer. Instead of succeeding in trapping Jesus, Jesus did a reversal and trapped the lawyer in his own words and failure to know the full intent and implication behind Deut. 6:5 and Lev. 19:18. In Jesus’ day, Jews defined “neighbor” as another Jew only. They took care of their own, but if you were not their own, you were outside the lines.
Many in the church today draw lines as well. We will help other Christians, but not non-Christians coming asking for benevolence, “Oh no! They are not our own and if we start, we will open the gates wide for everyone and anyone who wants a hand out!” Right? When we draw lines, then we are saying, “Love has limits.” The real question is NOT, “Who is my neighbor?”, but “Whose neighbor am I?” Jesus did not tell us why the priest and Levite refused to help. Maybe they feared it was an ambush. They would have known the Old Testament law, and to touch a dead body or blood made them ceremonially unclean and it was a long process to be declared ceremonially clean again.
Reflection Assignment: New Testament scholar Philip G. Ryken writes this for us to consider: “The poor example of these religious leaders shows us some of the characteristics of bad neighbors. When am I a bad neighbor? When I avoid people in obvious need. When I come up with flimsy excuses for refusing to get involved with someone who has a legitimate claim on my love. When I have little concern for those who are wounded and dying, whether their injuries are spiritual or physical. When I see someone who might be in trouble, but refuse to stop and find out what kind of help I might be able to offer. When I walk away from worship with a heart as hard as the one I came in with. When I am too selfish to interrupt what I am doing or to be inconvenienced by someone else’s problems. Whenever I make lame excuses for not doing what I know, deep down, that Jesus wants me to do for someone else. I am a bad neighbor whenever I refuse to be a good neighbor to someone in need” (Source: Philip G. Ryken, Preach The Word,”Luke,” Vol. 1, p. 543). How would you respond to some of these statements/questions above? The Good Samaritan felt compassion for his enemy. When you look at people in need, does your heart fill with compassion or contempt?
Scripture To Meditate On: Luke 10:36-37, “‘Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?’ (37) And he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same’” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, please forgive me when I turn a cold heart to those in need, especially to those who I do not see being in my circle of family and friends. Lord, help me with this so that I model Your love to others, especially to those who I may not like or have a prejudice against. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly