Earlier this week, I found myself sitting in a hair salon, interacting with a stylist I had never met before. We were chatting back and forth about hobbies, likes, and dislikes—the typical getting-to-know-you conversation—but I felt something within me clinging to surface-level interaction. While this isn’t unusual for me as someone who leans introverted, I genuinely enjoy talking with new people, so I knew something was off.

As those called to bear witness to the living Lord Jesus, we look for opportunities to share His love and the work He has done in our lives. So what happened? It wasn’t as if the stylist was closed off to conversation. On the contrary, she was extremely engaging, and it would have been natural for our discussion to move toward something of eternal substance. If I’m being honest, part of me simply didn’t want to relinquish the comfort of a pleasant, surface-level conversation with a stranger. As soon as I left, I reflected on the moment, and it boiled down to this: I was lacking compassion.

This idea of caring about others comes from a revelation of my own shortcomings. The kind of caring I’m referring to is the caring that drives the bride of Christ to be His witnesses to all people at all times, regardless of our feelings. It is the kind of caring that selflessly shares the good news of the gospel, recognizing the brevity of life and stewarding every moment that may help redirect the eternal destination of a soul.

This care is modeled after the unending love of Jesus Christ, who lived a sinless life on humanity’s behalf, bravely bearing the consequences of sin and conquering death for those who believe in His resurrection and current reign as King. That is the kind of caring I am learning to grow in.

While Scripture provides many beautiful examples of this, let’s look at the powerful and challenging parable of the Good Samaritan.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 

He answered, “‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” 

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:25–37, NIV)

There are several important elements to highlight in this passage, beginning with the identity of the person to whom Jesus is speaking. While the audience surrounding Jesus was fluid as He traveled toward Jerusalem, the text tells us that a single expert in the Torah initiated this public exchange by testing Jesus. Not only is he explicitly identified as an expert in the Law, but the accuracy of his response to Jesus’s question demonstrates his deep familiarity with Scripture. Yet Jesus continues by telling the parable, not to inform the man intellectually but to challenge whether his knowledge was being faithfully lived out. While the comparison is not exact, this lawyer can resemble a long-time believer—someone who knows the right answers but may need to be reminded of how those truths are meant to shape daily practice.

As the dialogue progresses, the posture of the lawyer’s heart is revealed. Wanting to justify himself after Jesus’s command to live out the Law, he asks, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29, NIV). One commentator observes that the lawyer sought to “evade the barbs of conscience” by defining neighbor in a way that limited personal responsibility.¹ This tendency is not unfamiliar to us. When confronted with God’s commands—particularly in moments of conviction—we may attempt to blur their boundaries or question their scope. In His kindness, Jesus does not leave the lawyer in self-justification but instead leads him toward truth.

Jesus does this by carefully crafting the parable and selecting four key characters: a man of unspecified background, a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan. Of these, portraying the priest and the Levite unfavorably would be deeply offensive to the expert in the Law—and Jesus does exactly that: The wounded man is ignored by two figures who represented Israel’s religious faithfulness. Both the priest and the Levite see him and deliberately pass by, offering no aid. Jesus’s use of these characters exposes the disconnect between outward religiosity and the heart of God, echoing Scripture’s rebuke of those who honor God with their lips while their hearts remain far from Him (Matthew 15:8–9, Isaiah 29:13).

Jesus further notes that the journey was from Jerusalem to Jericho, suggesting that the priest may have just completed his temple duties.² While Scripture does not explain why the priest and Levite withheld help—whether due to concerns regarding ritual purity or personal safety—the contrast Jesus draws makes the point unmistakable: Their failure was rooted in a lack of compassionate mercy.

The Samaritan, however, would have been the most shocking figure in the story. Centuries of hostility separated Jews and Samaritans, marked by religious disagreement and mutual disdain. By presenting the Samaritan as the moral exemplar, Jesus radically subverts common assumptions about holiness. 

The Samaritan’s response is marked by extravagant care. Rather than keeping his distance, he moves toward the wounded man, tends to his injuries with oil and wine, places him on his own donkey, provides lodging at an inn, and covers the cost of both present and future care. All of this flows from a single moment: When he saw the man, he was moved with compassion (Luke 10:33). The Greek word used here conveys a deep, visceral response—compassion that moves one from the depths of the inner being to decisive action.³

Christlike Compassion

As those who have come to know the true love of God through Jesus Christ, this is the kind of compassion we are called to display. Though people around us may not appear visibly wounded, the weight of sin, shame, or spiritual emptiness can leave them just as broken. When we are able to meet physical needs, we should do so (James 2:15–17). When opportunities arise to share the gospel, we should respond faithfully (Matthew 28:19). And when a simple conversation—perhaps even in a hair salon—has the potential to move toward eternal significance, we should be willing to engage.

As we seek to grow in this kind of Christlike compassion, it begins with simple, intentional steps. 

1. Ask God to open your eyes to truly see the people He places in your path—not as interruptions but as image-bearers with eternal significance. 

2. Ask Him to soften your heart and give you genuine compassion for those who are lost, allowing His love to move you beyond comfort and into faithful action. 

3. Meditate on the brevity of this life and the temporary nature of earthly comforts, keeping in view the eternal destination that awaits every soul. 

In this moment of your day, take a brief pulse check with the Lord: Do you find yourself ready and eager to engage with strangers who may not be saved, or are you rushing from one errand to the next, hoping to remain unnoticed and undisturbed?

Notes:

1. Schreiner, “Luke,” in Matthew–Luke, vol. 8 of ESV Expository Commentary, 888.

2. Carroll, Luke, 333.

3. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, “splagchnizomai,” G4697, accessed April 6, 2026, on Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4697/kjv/tr/0-1/.

Author Bio:

Patricia Vachula is a Ph.D. student in Biblical Exposition at Liberty University. She is passionate about studying and unpacking Scripture within its literary and historical context and delights in helping others engage the Bible faithfully and clearly. She is originally from Long Island, New York, and now resides in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Additional Resources:

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