Transforming Love
Love your neighbour as yourself.
Luke 10:27
In the Bible passage for today, The Lord Jesus told a parable about a Samaritan. Samaritans, were a people group formed from the intermarriage of Israelites and gentiles brought into the land by the Assyrians, only accepted the first five books of Moses as Scripture and rejected other tenets of traditional Jewish faith, such as worship centred in Jerusalem (the Samaritans’ worship was centred at Mount Gerizim)
Tensions between Jews and Samaritans ran high. In choosing a Samaritan as the hero of His now-famous parable, the Lord challenged His listeners on who their neighbours were.
In Luke 10, Jesus tells the story of a traveller who was beaten, robbed and left for dead. Both a priest and a Levite passed by, ignoring the man’s suffering. But a Samaritan, a member of a despised people group, took care of him, even paying for his needs (Luke 10:33-35). Pronouncing the Samaritan as the true “neighbour” in the story, Jesus encouraged His listeners to do the same.
Today, the Lord still encourages His followers to do the same as the Samaritan. How might God use us to offer His love to others, a love which can make all things new?
Read
Luke 10:27-37.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for making me new! May I be a neighbour to those who desperately need Your care in order to be transformed by You. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Amen