Welcome to week 27 of Weekly Word!
I hope you’ve been blessed by The Parables of Jesus series! How might our hearts be stirred and refreshed as we listen to the words of our Savior? Let’s keep reading, listening, and learning! This week, we’ll read and learn from the parable of The Good Samaritan.
Below, you’ll find your readings for this week, a short devotional to enjoy at the end of the week, along with discussion questions for your own reflection or community discussion.
Readings:
- Luke 10:25–37
- 1 Corinthians 12&13
- Romans 12
Devotional:
Readings: Luke 10:25–37 | 1 Corinthians 12&13 | Romans 12
When Jesus told the Parable of the Good Samaritan, He was showing what authentic, kingdom-minded love looks like—a love that goes beyond cultural barriers and societal biases to show the mercy and love of God to those in need of compassion.
Paul reminds us of this love in 1 Corinthians 13 and warns us of what we can become without it—he says we can possess spectacular spiritual gifts, speak with the tongues of angels, and hold profound knowledge, but if we do not have love, we are nothing more than a clanging cymbal.
Christlike love is not an abstract emotion or a theological theory; it is a sacrificial choice that alters our schedules, costs us our resources, and moves us toward compassion.
Romans 12 echoes this call by urging us to let our love be genuine, abhorring what is evil, and holding fast to what is good. As members of the body of Christ, 1 Corinthians 12 teaches that we have been given diverse gifts, but we are uniquely knit together so that “if one member suffers, all suffer together.” The Samaritan model demonstrates this beautifully—he saw human suffering and used his unique time, resources, and finances to help where there was hurting.
In this same way, we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a broken world, refusing to let our differences or comfort zones paralyze our compassion. When we offer our lives as living sacrifices, as Romans 12 implores, our daily lives become the physical extension of Christ’s healing love to a neighborhood (and world) desperately in need!
Discussion Questions:
- In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul notes that the parts of the body that seem weaker or are hidden are absolutely indispensable. How does the Good Samaritan’s choice to care for a nameless, vulnerable, stripped traveler challenge the way you view the “less visible” or marginalized people in your everyday life?
- Romans 12:9 challenges us to let our love be “genuine” or without hypocrisy. Looking at the religious figures in the parable versus the Samaritan, how does this passage redefine the difference between external religious duty and true, heartfelt Christian love?
- 1 Corinthians 13:5 says that love “does not insist on its own way.” The Samaritan gave up his time, safety, and money for a stranger who could give him nothing in return. What is one practical area of your life this week where you can lay down your own way or your own schedule to show Christ’s love to someone else?
Faith In Action
At Antioch Georgetown, we believe we are most like Jesus when we serve others. This week, we invite you to peruse the serving opportunities at our church and prayerfully consider where God might be calling you to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
We are praying for you as you dig into God’s Word this week!