What Does Mercy Look Like Today?

As you prepare for this week's worship, I encourage you to read through the scripture passage, Luke 10:25-37, and then take time to consider the questions below:

Luke 10:25    One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

Luke 10:26    Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

Luke 10:27    The man answered, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Luke 10:28    “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

Luke 10:29    The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Luke 10:30    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.

Luke 10:31    “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.

Luke 10:33    “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.’

Luke 10:36    “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

Luke 10:37    The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” 

Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Questions for Reflection:

When I read this passage, I cannot separate the overall narrative of the encounter Jesus is having with the expert in religious law, and the parable that Jesus then tells. The expert was doing what religious scholars would do. He is questioning a Rabbi on the law and, I believe ultimately, he is wanting Jesus to support his view on the law. But Jesus does what he often does and turns the situation around to question the expert on his own journey of faith. When we read the subsequent story from this perspective, I think we will find that the first two individuals who encounter the man beaten on the side of the road, do the appropriate action for seeing someone who appears to be dead––they keep themselves ceremonially pure. They live into the regulations of the law. 

1. Why do you think Jesus uses a Samaritan as the one who does the right thing in the story?
2. When Jesus asks the expert, “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits,” why do you think the man answers, “The one who showed him mercy?” Think about the word mercy. What does that mean for you in today's world?
3. Why do you think Jesus is pushing the expert to move beyond his current understanding of the law into an expanded understanding of mercy? How does the law conflict with the idea of mercy, as described within this story?

I hope you have fun studying this passage as we prepare to come together this Sunday for worship!