Monday, March 30, 2026

“When Compassion Crosses the Road..”

 Jesus talked about this kinda thing in Luke 10:30-37 nlt... 

"Jesus replied with a story: 'A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?' Jesus asked.
37 The man replied, 'The one who showed him mercy.'
Then Jesus said, 'Yes, now go and do the same.'” 

A Samaritan acting more merciful and human, even funding real care, really!? Sure. 

We can live like that -- we can do that stuff by God's compassionate anointing!

Jesus is like that. God is still love, but love is not God. 


1. The Road We’re All On

A man is beaten, stripped, and left half-dead.
That’s not just his story—it’s ours.

  • Wounded by sin (Romans 3:23)
  • Stripped of righteousness (Isaiah 64:6)
  • Half-dead spiritually (Ephesians 2:1)

- The world scrolls past… but heaven stops.


2. Religion That Walks By

The priest. The Levite.
They saw—but didn’t stop.

  • 2 Timothy 3:5 — “Having a form of godliness but denying its power.”
  • 1 John 3:18 — Not words only, but deeds.

* They had position without compassion.
*Light without love still leaves people in the dark.


3. The One Who Came Near

Then comes the unlikely hero—the Samaritan.

Despised. Rejected. Unexpected.

Sound familiar?

* This points us straight to Jesus Christ

  • Luke 19:10 — He came to seek and save the lost
  • Matthew 9:36 — Moved with compassion
  • John 4 — Crossed barriers to reach the broken

* When others passed by… Jesus crossed over.


4. What Real Compassion Does

The Samaritan didn’t just feel—he acted:

  • He came near (presence)
  • He bound wounds (care)
  • He paid the cost (sacrifice)
  • He ensured ongoing care (commitment)

* That’s the Gospel:

  • Isaiah 53:5 — “By His wounds we are healed”
  • 1 Peter 2:24 — He bore our sins
  • 2 Corinthians 8:9 — He became poor to make us rich

5. The Inn: A Picture of Grace Community

He brings the man to a place of care.

* A glimpse of the church:

  • A hospital for sinners, not a resort for the self-righteous
  • A place of restoration
  • A community of ongoing care (Hebrews 10:24–25)

6. The Question That Exposes the Heart

“Who was the neighbor?”

Not: Who deserves my love?
But: Am I becoming a person of mercy?


7. First Receive, Then Go

Before we “go and do likewise,” we must see:

* Sometimes we are the wounded man.
* Jesus is the true Good Samaritan.

Only when you’ve been rescued…
can you become a rescuer in the Lord. He'll teach and guide you in this.


8. The Call

“Yes, now go and do the same.”

In a world of:

  • AI without empathy
  • speed without presence
  • access without relationship

* Be the one who stops
* Be the one who sees
* Be the one who cares
* Be the one who shares Christ


Closing Appeal (Evangelistic)

If you’re still lying on that road spiritually…

Jesus has already come near.

He’s not crossing to the other side—
He’s calling you now.

A. Let Him save and lift you.

B, Let Him heal you.

C. Let Him sanctify you.

And then…

Go into a hurting world and do the same—with His heart.

"Lord, deliver me from the delusion of imagining that my desire is to serve You, when my real desire is the distinction of serving in some way that others admire." ~ Elisabeth Elliot

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