The Gospel According to Luke - Luke 10:25-37

17 November 2025

In this sermon on the Good Samaritan, the pastor says Jesus uses the lawyer’s question about eternal life to expose a deeper problem: people may talk about loving God and others, yet still avoid costly, practical mercy. Rather than letting the lawyer define who counts as a neighbor, Jesus tells a story that reveals how easily religious people can harden their hearts, while true neighbor-love is marked by compassion, sacrifice, and action, even toward those seen as enemies.

The sermon stresses that this is not only a moral challenge but a spiritual one. It is meant to unsettle listeners and show that they cannot save themselves by trying harder. The good news is that Jesus himself is the true neighbor who comes to rescue, forgive, and transform hard hearts. Those who trust him are called to hold together both gospel proclamation and concrete acts of mercy, loving the real people God has placed around them.

Listen to the sermon