Discussion Questions: November 9
Opening
What stood out to you from Sunday’s message?
Summary
Read Luke 10.25-37
We are very protective of our time and our resources, stocking up for the future. But Jesus calls us to pour ourselves out in mercy towards others. Loving our neighbour requires a costly love that puts the needs of others first. This kind of love is only possible when we view our possessions and time not as a resources to be stockpiled, but God-given opportunities for mercy.
Discussion Questions
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The Samaritan has to cross boundaries of race, religion and class in order to show mercy to the beaten Jew. Who are the people who are hard to love in our context?
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Do you think that technological advances in communication and travel since the 1st century have changed the answer to the question, “who is my neighbour?”
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What are all the costs (material and otherwise) that the Samaritan pays in loving his neighbour?
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By making the victim a Jew, Jesus is inviting his hearers to identify first with the victim, not the hero. How does this change the way we read the story? Do you see yourself as one who has received this kind of love?
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Is there a person or group who you feel that God has put in your life for you to love?