“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.”

Luke 10:30–33

The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was steep and winding, a place where shadows stretched long and danger lurked in the rocks. That’s where he lay—robbed, beaten, and left half-dead. His face was swollen, his lips cracked, his body trembling from blood loss. Every sound made his heart jolt—maybe help was coming… maybe the robbers had returned.

Then—footsteps. A priest. His chest lifted in hope. Surely, if anyone would care, it would be this man of God. But the priest’s eyes slid over him with practiced indifference. A quick glance, then robes gathered tightly as he crossed the road. The wounded man’s fragile hope collapsed into despair.

Not long after, more footsteps. A Levite. Another servant of God. Surely now—surely. But no. His pace quickened, sandals crunching on the opposite side of the path, leaving silence in his wake. The man’s chest shook with a sob he didn’t have strength to finish. Forgotten. Worth less than someone else’s schedule.

And then came the sound of a donkey’s hooves. A Samaritan. An enemy. If the priest and Levite wouldn’t stop, why would he? But this stranger slowed. He saw him. He knelt. His hands were gentle as he poured oil on raw wounds. He lifted the broken body onto his own animal, walked beside him, and paid for his healing.

Jesus told this story not to shame the religious, but to wake us up. It is possible to be so “important,” so busy with spiritual routine, that we step over the very people Jesus calls us to love.

“Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.”

1 John 2:6

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us…”

Ephesians 5:1–2

Living like Jesus is costly. It interrupts. It inconveniences. It pulls us out of our tidy schedules and calls us into someone else’s pain. To follow Him means choosing the harder road—the one where we stop, bend low, and give what we’d rather keep.

But it is also the road of blessing. Every time we cross over to bind up a wound, we find Him there. Every time we give up our comfort, we taste His joy. Every time we choose mercy, we feel His heart beating in ours. The Samaritan didn’t just rescue a broken man—he discovered what it means to live in the likeness of God.

This is the call of Jesus. Not to admire Him from a distance, but to walk as He walked. To show up in love when no one else does. To live with open hands, ready to bind up wounds, notice tears, and carry burdens that aren’t our own. That’s where His life shines brightest through us—and where our own hearts come most alive.

“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16