Luke 10:25–37: Right in Your Path

August 12, 2026

The Ten Signposts of the Bible
CAMDE—400—CALY
Creation. Abraham. Moses. David. Elijah. 400. Christ. Apostles. Letters. Yet-to-Come.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all the needs around you? There are plenty of hurting people out there–in our neighborhood, among the people we work with, in our friend group, and in our family. The question is: with so many situations needing attention, where do we start? Where should we invest our time and energy? 

I believe today’s passage helps answer that question. Let’s look at Luke 10:25–37. 

One day, an expert in Jewish law tried to prove that Jesus was a fraud, a traveling teacher whose message was leading people astray. He asked Jesus, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25). Jesus answered the question with a question. He said, in essence, “You are the expert in the Law. What do you think?” (Luke 10:26). 

The man was rightly drawn to the Old Testament passage known as the Shema–Deuteronomy 6:4–9. Every Jew, young and old, knew it by heart: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). Jesus replied, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live” (Luke 10:28). Jesus said that all you must do to earn eternal life is consistently love God with all your being–your heart, soul, strength, and mind–and show that same all-encompassing love to your neighbor. That, of course, is impossible. And that was the law’s ultimate purpose: to show us that we fall short. 

The lawyer understood his inability to obey this commandment so “desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Is he the guy down the street? The person next door? Someone in my family? Jesus, how can I obey the command if I don’t know who my neighbor is? 

So, Jesus told a story. 

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead” (Luke 10:30). The road from Jerusalem to Jericho stretched seventeen miles and dropped three thousand feet. Herod the Great built a massive complex in Jericho with four palaces, a gigantic pool, a theatre, stadium, and gymnasium;^[1] as a result, many dignitaries and others traveled there from Jerusalem. That also made it a popular road for thieves and robbers. That is what happened in Jesus’ story; a Jewish man was stripped, beaten, and left for dead.

As the man lay dying on the road, a priest and a Levite (think associate priest) saw the injured man in a pitiful state and both “passed by on the other side” (Luke 10:31–32). The two religious leaders deliberately ignored the man. Whatever their reasoning, their lack of compassion is obvious. 

A third man came along, a Samaritan. After the Assyrian conquest in 722 BC, some Jews became ethnically mixed through intermarriage with non-Jews and lived in the region of Samaria. They had their own place of worship (Mt. Gerizim) and their own Bible (the Pentateuch). The Jews hated the Samaritans, and the feeling was mutual. But the Samaritan in this story “had compassion” for the Jewish man, who was badly injured (Luke 10:33). 

The Samaritan poured wine on the wounds to help prevent infection and used oil to aid healing. He bandaged the man, then took him to an inn and continued caring for him. When the Samaritan left, he paid in advance for two weeks of lodging and asked the innkeeper to help the man recover. He said, “Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back” (Luke 10:35). 

Jesus ended the story with a pointed question to the expert in the law: “‘Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You go, and do likewise'” (Luke 10:36–37).

Having heard Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan, let's return to the question we began with: In a world full of endless needs, where does God want us to invest our time and energy? I think the answer is this: God wants us to invest in the needs he places in our path.

What need is right in front of you? What person or situation should you address? What has God given you that you can use to help others? Another need may arise tomorrow. But who or what stands in your path today? 

Read and reflect on Luke 10:25–37: Who has God placed in your path today that needs compassion, encouragement, or practical help?

Talking to God: Ask God to open your eyes to your “Good Samaritan” story. 

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