The Parable of Neighbor Love

Sermon 45 in Series

Luke 10:25-37

[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.”

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.  What does it look like to fight for joy in the Christian life? How do we help one another in this battle?
2.  What does the text indicate about the heart disposition of the lawyer who questioned Jesus? How is he being contrasted with the 72?
3. How does the first Q&A bring us to the heart of the Law? How does it point us to the cross and life in the Spirit?
4.  What does it mean that the lawyer is seeking “to justify himself” (v. 29)? How does Jesus correct his thinking and alter his question?
5.  How does this parable serve as an indictment of the Jewish leadership at the time? Why was Jesus’ use of a Samaritan so shocking, and what does that imply for us today?
6.  How does this parable challenge you? How do the specific actions of the Samaritan guide us in loving our neighbor?

References: Romans 10:1-13 (corporate reading); Luke 11:46-47, 52-54; 18:18; Acts 16:30-31; John 6:28; Romans 7:12; 3:20; Mark 12:28-31; Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; Galatians 5:6; Romans 8:3-4; Leviticus 19:34; Exodus 23:4-5; 1 John 4:20-21; John 4:9; 8:48.