Today’s Picture: Good Samaritan by Mike Quirke
The Teachings of Jesus: Love your neighbour
In this story Jesus confounds the expectations of his listeners—they would have expected the priest or Levite to help, not the Samaritan. Samaritans were a group of people the Jews at the time of Jesus generally looked down upon and disliked.
Preparation: Begin by stilling; then dedicating the time of prayer to God and asking God that all you think, feel and imagine are for the glory of God.
Gift: Ask for what you desire. Suggestion: Ask for the gift of compassion.
Setting: Imagine Jesus telling you this story.
Luke 10:25-37 HCSB
An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus, saying,
“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the law?” He asked him. “How do you read it?”
He answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,
with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.
“You’ve answered correctly,” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live.”
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus,
“And who is my neighbour?”
Jesus took up the question and said:
“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road.
When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way, a Levite,
when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him,
and when he saw the man, he had compassion.
He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine.
Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper,
and said, ‘Take care of him.
When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’
“Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbour
to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”
“The one who showed mercy to him,” he said.
Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”
Conversation: In my own words I talk to Jesus.
Final Prayer: End with a formal prayer such as the Lord’s Prayer/Our Father.
Today’s Music
Today’s Music: The Good Samaritan, sung by Dallas Holm
Click for more music by Dallas Holm