INTRODUCTION
Jesus made it very clear that Love for God is demonstrated by love for others. How we love our neighbors is a window into how we love God. This was just as hard to take when Jesus first said it as it is today!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Who do you know who goes out of their way to help others? How have they impacted your life? What’s one way they’ve gone out of their way to help you?
2. We can’t help everyone, but how do we decide who to help and who not to help?
3. Read Luke 10:25–37 aloud.
To you, what makes the story of the Good Samaritan so powerful?
In verses 25–28, what stands out to you about how Jesus responded to the law expert’s initial question?
In verse 29, the law expert asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” How would you answer that question. Who is your neighbor?
In the parable in verses 30–35, the Samaritan did no less than six kind acts to assist the injured man. Why do you think Jesus had the Samaritan do so many acts of kindness in the parable? Why not just one or two?
4. In Luke 10:37, Jesus says to the listeners of the parable to “Go and do likewise.”
Who is it who needs your help?
What do you need to do in order to “go and do likewise?”
Is there anything preventing you from doing it?
MOVING FORWARD
What does love require of you? In Jesus’ upside down kingdom there is an expectation that His followers be known by how they love one another. One of the ways you could begin living into a deeper relationship with Jesus is to begin evaluating how you treat and interact with people around you. Someone once said that you know you’re too busy when people who enter your life seem like inconveniences.
CHANGING YOUR MIND
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10: 36-37