The Merciful

Through the parable of the Good Samaritan, which Jesus told to his disciples and to an expert in the Law, this passage sheds light on the meaning of true love for one's neighbor. Unlike the priest and the Levite, who turned away from a dying man, the Samaritan appears as one who had compassion on him, treated his wounds, and cared for him. The sermon emphasizes that this parable is more than a model of good deeds; it calls us to abandon formal faith and to have a heart that truly knows God.

The priest and the Levite were so focused on their own safety and on formal worship that they left a life to perish, while the Samaritan embraced a suffering man without discrimination. This connects with the love of Jesus, who carried the cross to atone for the sins of humanity, and it shows that believers must not stay only in the Jerusalem of the church but go out into the Jericho of the world and have compassion on souls. The passage points out that what brings God joy is not formal worship and a self-centered religious life, but sincere worship and devotion offered in spirit and truth.

The sermon says that when believers humble themselves and live generous lives like the Samaritan, they can reveal God's love to the world. It promises that when we have a heart of compassion for souls who have not been saved, God will fill us with overflowing love. Now believers must put that love into practice with devotion and resolve, and become holy believers who head out toward Jericho.