“Go And Do As He Did.”

But the man wanted to make himself look good. So he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. Robbers attacked him. They stripped off his clothes and beat him. Then they went away, leaving him almost dead. A priest happened to be going down that same road. When he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. A Levite also came by. When he saw the man, he passed by on the other side too.

But a Samaritan came to the place where the man was. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him. He went to him, poured olive oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey. He took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins. He gave them to the owner of the inn. 'Take care of him,' he said. 'When I return, I will pay you back for any extra expense you may have.'

"Which of the three do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers?"

The authority on the law replied, "The one who felt sorry for him."

Jesus told him, "Go and do as he did."

Luke 10:29-37

To love “your neighbor as yourself” requires an urgent kind of love. It is the love that notices the need of another person and won’t rest until it has been met. It is a gentle, tender love that thinks and acts carefully. It is the sacrificial and compassionate love that a nameless Samaritan had for a fallen traveler. It is the kind of love God wants to share with your neighbors through you.

You cannot touch your neighbor’s heart

with anything less than your own.

Our Daily Bread – January 22, 2010