Take a few minutes to catch up and pray that God would bless you through the reading of His word.

Read Luke 10:25-42

[10:25] And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” [26] He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” [27] And he answered, “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.” [28] And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
[29] But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” [30] Jesus replied, “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. [31] Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. [32] So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. [33] But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. [34] He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. [35] And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ [36] Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” [37] He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
[38] Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. [39] And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. [40] But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” [41] But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, [42] but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.

Observation

• Who came to Jesus (v. 25)? For what purpose? What question did he ask?
  • How does Jesus answer him (v. 26)?
  • What does the lawyer say (v. 27)?
  • How does Jesus evaluate his response (v. 28)?
• What question does the lawyer ask Jesus in v. 29? What was his purpose?
  • Where is the man in Jesus’ story going (v. 30)? What happened to him?
  • What did the priest and Levite do for him (v. 31-32)?
  • What did the Samaritan feel for the man (v. 33)? What did he do for him (v. 34-35)?
  • What question did Jesus ask the lawyer (v. 36)?
    • How did he answer (v. 37)?
    • How did Jesus evaluate his answer (v. 37)? What instruction did he give him?
• How did Martha greet Jesus (v. 38)?
  • What did Mary do (v. 39)?
  • With what was Martha busy (v. 40)? What did she say to Jesus?
  • How did Jesus answer her (v. 41-42)?

Interpretation

• Why is it a surprise that Jesus makes a Samaritan the hero of his story?
  • Jesus doesn’t really answer the spirit of the question that the lawyer asked him (compare v. 29 and v. 36).
    • What was the lawyer’s purpose in asking the question?
    • How does Jesus re-orient his question?
  • How would you summarize what Jesus is teaching through the story of the Samaritan who helps?
• Was what Martha was doing wrong?
  • What does it mean to say “one thing is necessary” (v. 42)? What is that one thing?
  • What had Mary chose that was “the good portion”? Why won’t it be taken away from her?

Application

• Who is your neighbor? Are there ways that you can love them today?
• Are there good things in your life that are distracting you from the words of Jesus? What would it look like to assume Mary’s posture towards Jesus today?

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