March 7th, 2025
Friday, March 7th
The Ignored Parable
Pastor Todd Crofford
The two most famous parables of Jesus are The Prodigal Son and The Good Samaritan. The first we love and this one we ignore. The message could not be clearer, the person we least think of as our neighbor is… our neighbor.
Today I want to challenge myself - and you - to consider who is the person you like the least in your world? Don’t think of some celebrity or political pundit far away that you can never have an interaction with. Someone in your proximity.
What would it take to draw them by kindness into your orbit, your Oikos, your world? Ask God today to show you how to love them as you love yourself. I know it is hard, but then again, this wasn’t my idea. It was Jesus who said, “Go and imitate his example.” (Luke 10:37 GW)
Luke 10:25-42
GOD’S WORD Translation
A Story about a Good Samaritan
25 Then an expert in Moses’ Teachings stood up to test Jesus. He asked, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 Jesus answered him, “What is written in Moses’ Teachings? What do you read there?”
27 He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ ”
28 Jesus told him, “You’re right! Do this, and life will be yours.”
29 But the man wanted to justify his question. So he asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
30 Jesus replied, “A man went from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way robbers stripped him, beat him, and left him for dead.
31 “By chance, a priest was traveling along that road. When he saw the man, he went around him and continued on his way. 32 Then a Levite came to that place. When he saw the man, he, too, went around him and continued on his way.
33 “But a Samaritan, as he was traveling along, came across the man. When the Samaritan saw him, he felt sorry for the man, 34 went to him, and cleaned and bandaged his wounds. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day the Samaritan took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. He told the innkeeper, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than that, I’ll pay you on my return trip.’
36 “Of these three men, who do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers?”
37 The expert said, “The one who was kind enough to help him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and imitate his example!”
Mary Listens to Jesus
38 As they were traveling along, Jesus went into a village. A woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary. Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to him talk.
40 But Martha was upset about all the work she had to do. So she asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work all by myself? Tell her to help me.”
41 The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha! You worry and fuss about a lot of things. 42 There’s only one thing you need.[a] Mary has made the right choice, and that one thing will not be taken away from her.”
The Ignored Parable
Pastor Todd Crofford
The two most famous parables of Jesus are The Prodigal Son and The Good Samaritan. The first we love and this one we ignore. The message could not be clearer, the person we least think of as our neighbor is… our neighbor.
Today I want to challenge myself - and you - to consider who is the person you like the least in your world? Don’t think of some celebrity or political pundit far away that you can never have an interaction with. Someone in your proximity.
What would it take to draw them by kindness into your orbit, your Oikos, your world? Ask God today to show you how to love them as you love yourself. I know it is hard, but then again, this wasn’t my idea. It was Jesus who said, “Go and imitate his example.” (Luke 10:37 GW)
Luke 10:25-42
GOD’S WORD Translation
A Story about a Good Samaritan
25 Then an expert in Moses’ Teachings stood up to test Jesus. He asked, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 Jesus answered him, “What is written in Moses’ Teachings? What do you read there?”
27 He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ ”
28 Jesus told him, “You’re right! Do this, and life will be yours.”
29 But the man wanted to justify his question. So he asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
30 Jesus replied, “A man went from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way robbers stripped him, beat him, and left him for dead.
31 “By chance, a priest was traveling along that road. When he saw the man, he went around him and continued on his way. 32 Then a Levite came to that place. When he saw the man, he, too, went around him and continued on his way.
33 “But a Samaritan, as he was traveling along, came across the man. When the Samaritan saw him, he felt sorry for the man, 34 went to him, and cleaned and bandaged his wounds. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day the Samaritan took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. He told the innkeeper, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than that, I’ll pay you on my return trip.’
36 “Of these three men, who do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers?”
37 The expert said, “The one who was kind enough to help him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and imitate his example!”
Mary Listens to Jesus
38 As they were traveling along, Jesus went into a village. A woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary. Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to him talk.
40 But Martha was upset about all the work she had to do. So she asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work all by myself? Tell her to help me.”
41 The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha! You worry and fuss about a lot of things. 42 There’s only one thing you need.[a] Mary has made the right choice, and that one thing will not be taken away from her.”
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