Week 4 · Living as a disciple
Day 28
Love a neighbor in front of you
Before you read, ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand the passage and respond honestly.
Read
Luke 10:25-37
Read in the ESV ↗Read the whole passage slowly, twice if you can. Then come back here.
Understand
A legal expert asks Jesus about eternal life and then seeks to define the limits of his obligation to love. Jesus tells of a Samaritan who shows costly mercy to an injured stranger. He turns attention from classifying which people qualify as neighbors to becoming a neighbor through mercy.
A disciple’s love must reach beyond convenience and familiar groups. You cannot meet every need, but you can notice a person and respond wisely to the need within reach. Loving action should respect that person’s dignity and wishes. It is not a tactic that makes them owe you a religious conversation.
Pray
Father, help me see people with mercy rather than pass them by. Give me wisdom about the help I can offer. Form the love of Jesus in me toward someone outside my usual circle. Amen.
Use this as a starting point, then speak in your own words.
Reflect
Which people or needs do you find easy to overlook?
Act today
Offer one practical form of care to a neighbor, coworker, or person your church is helping. Ask what would be useful rather than assuming. Later, tell your companion what you learned and review one discovery and one question from this week's readings. Pray together if possible.
Words you will hear today
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Walking with someone through this? See the week 4 guide
Missed a day? Resume where you stopped. You don't need to catch up.