-Strength for Today- "Worthy of Compassion" - Luke 10:25-37.

     When the lawyer tempted Jesus, (verse 25), Jesus questioned him, regarding his understanding of the law – verse 26. But willing to justify himself, he asked Jesus a question, “who is my neighbor.” Jesus gives no definition of neighbor.  

    In this parable, we can conclude that our “neighbor,” is anyone who has a special need, that we’re able to meet, and who is brought to our attention, by crossing our paths. Therefore:  

• The focus wasn’t the worthiness of the wounded man to receive help,  
• The focus was on who was acting like a neighbor to the wounded man.  

      I believe that the reason Jesus indicted to the religious leaders, was when they could’ve taken care of their brother, but they didn’t. Many today have chosen to keep walking, like “the priest” and “the Levite,” (vv.21-32), rather than to stop and show compassion to those who’ve succumbed under the strain of life’s circumstances 

   There’s a great contrast in our text between the two religious leaders and the Samaritan, but at its very root, there’s one thing that especially distinguishes the Samaritan from the Jews, and that’s compassion because: 

• When the two Jewish religious leaders saw the injured man, they seem to be repulsed, and  
• They did everything they could to ignore and avoid him.  

     The Samaritan, moved with compassion, and does everything possible to minister to the needs of the injured victim. 

       Since eternal life is not the result of our good works, but the result of God’s grace manifested in and through Jesus Christ, we have nothing to be proud of, no basis for feeling complacent. And because:  

• God has been merciful and gracious to us; and 
•  We can show mercy and compassion toward others.  

   Grace leaves no place for complacency; it’s the basis for compassion. that’s what Jesus is trying to help this lawyer to understand through the parable of the Good Samaritan. 

    Let me say one more thing as I conclude this lesson. God doesn’t   

 want us to give Him a textbook definition of loving our neighbor:  

• He wants us to demonstrate love for our neighbor in the real world, by  
• Showing compassion to one in need, as did the Good Samaritan. 

Great is thy Faithfulness 

Great is Thy faithfulness, " O God my Father, there is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not, as Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be. 

Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!" Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed Thy hand hath provided 

Great is Thy faithfulness, " Lord, unto me!  

Summer and winter, and Springtime and harvest, sun, moon and stars in their courses above, join with all nature in manifold witness to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. 

Author: Plez Lovelady, Jr., PhD