The Inconvenience of Mercy
Read Luke 10:25–37 – The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Compassion is easy to admire until it gets in the way of our plans.
The Good Samaritan is familiar territory, but I’d approach it through the uncomfortable question Jesus leaves hanging: How often do we rationalize walking past a need?
The priest and Levite may have had reasons for continuing their journeys. The text doesn’t tell us what those reasons were, and perhaps that’s the point. We can always find a reason.
The Samaritan doesn’t merely feel compassion. He allows another person’s circumstances to change his own.
Something to prayerfully ponder today: What is the difference between being a good person and being available to do good? How does that difference fit into God’s plan for your life?
As you ponder, here’s an additional scripture to help: Jeremiah 29:11-13
