Be A Good Samaritan
Dr. Kenneth Sullivan Jr. on November 9, 2025
Day 1: The Vertical and Horizontal Cross
Luke 10:25-28; 1 John 4:19-21
The cross represents our dual calling: loving God vertically and loving people horizontally. The religious expert in Luke's gospel knew the commandments intellectually but struggled to live them practically. True faith isn't measured solely by theological correctness but by compassionate action. When we genuinely love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, that love naturally overflows toward others. We cannot claim to love the invisible God while despising His visible image-bearers around us. Today, examine your relationships. Are you so focused on your vertical relationship with God that you've neglected the horizontal? Ask God to fill your heart with His love so abundantly that it spills over into every human interaction.
How can you demonstrate God's love to someone today through a practical act of kindness?
---
Day 2: Unexpected Crises and Divine Grace
Psalm 46:1-11; James 1:2-4
Life's Jericho Roads are filled with unexpected turns. The man in Jesus' parable didn't anticipate becoming a victim, yet suddenly he found himself stripped, beaten, and abandoned. Similarly, we face circumstances beyond our control—layoffs, illnesses, betrayals, or losses. These moments reveal an important truth: we're all vulnerable. What separates us from those struggling isn't our superiority but God's grace. Instead of judging others' circumstances, we should cultivate gratitude for God's protection over our own lives. Every day we remain standing is a testimony to His mercy. The trials we avoid aren't evidence of our righteousness but demonstrations of His faithfulness. Today, thank God for the crises He's prevented and the strength He's provided through those you couldn't avoid.
What difficult situation has God brought you through that could have destroyed you?
---
Day 3: Breaking Through Cultural Coldness
Matthew 25:31-46; Proverbs 21:13
The priest and Levite represent religious activity without compassion—a dangerous spiritual condition. They were so focused on their religious duties that they missed the divine opportunity before them. Our culture increasingly suffers from compassion fatigue, where constant exposure to suffering hardens our hearts. We become callous, developing emotional thick skin that prevents us from feeling others' pain. But God calls us to maintain tender hearts. When we see someone in need and possess the means to help, we must not "shut up the bowels of our compassion." Ignoring need when we can meet it makes us complicit in the suffering. The question isn't whether we can help everyone, but whether we'll help the one God places in our path today.
Who has God placed in your proximity that needs your compassion and practical help?
---
Day 4: The Unexpected Hero
Luke 10:29-37; James 2:14-26
Jesus shocked His audience by making a despised Samaritan the hero. This reversal teaches us that God values deeds over doctrine, character over credentials. The Samaritan didn't have "correct" theology by Jewish standards, yet he demonstrated the heart of God through his actions. He saw, he felt compassion, and he acted sacrificially—bandaging wounds, providing transportation, paying expenses, and guaranteeing future care. This is faith in action. Our beliefs must translate into behavior. Heaven's entrance exam won't be a theology test but an evaluation of how we treated "the least of these." When we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, and care for the vulnerable, we serve Jesus Himself. True Christianity is both vertical worship and horizontal service.
What practical need can you meet this week that requires personal sacrifice of time, money, or comfort?
---
Day 5: Lifted by Love
Ephesians 2:1-10; Psalm 40:1-3
The beaten man's story is our story. We were spiritually stripped, wounded, and left for dead by sin. Religious systems passed us by, unable to save. But Jesus, like the Good Samaritan, came where we were. He saw our desperate condition and had compassion. He bound our wounds with His grace, poured in the oil of the Holy Spirit, and carried us to safety at great personal cost. He paid our debt and promised to return. We didn't deserve rescue; we couldn't earn it or repay it. Love lifted us when we were sinking deep in sin. Now, having received such mercy, we're called to extend it to others. Our testimony of transformation should compel us toward compassion. We love because He first loved us.
How has Jesus lifted you from a low place, and how can you lift someone else today?
---
Closing Prayer:
Lord, make me a Good Samaritan in my generation. Open my eyes to see people as You see them. Soften my heart to feel what You feel. Strengthen my hands to do what You would do. Help me live out my faith through tangible acts of love. May my life be a living testimony that You are real, You are good, and You care for all people. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Luke 10:25-28; 1 John 4:19-21
The cross represents our dual calling: loving God vertically and loving people horizontally. The religious expert in Luke's gospel knew the commandments intellectually but struggled to live them practically. True faith isn't measured solely by theological correctness but by compassionate action. When we genuinely love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, that love naturally overflows toward others. We cannot claim to love the invisible God while despising His visible image-bearers around us. Today, examine your relationships. Are you so focused on your vertical relationship with God that you've neglected the horizontal? Ask God to fill your heart with His love so abundantly that it spills over into every human interaction.
How can you demonstrate God's love to someone today through a practical act of kindness?
---
Day 2: Unexpected Crises and Divine Grace
Psalm 46:1-11; James 1:2-4
Life's Jericho Roads are filled with unexpected turns. The man in Jesus' parable didn't anticipate becoming a victim, yet suddenly he found himself stripped, beaten, and abandoned. Similarly, we face circumstances beyond our control—layoffs, illnesses, betrayals, or losses. These moments reveal an important truth: we're all vulnerable. What separates us from those struggling isn't our superiority but God's grace. Instead of judging others' circumstances, we should cultivate gratitude for God's protection over our own lives. Every day we remain standing is a testimony to His mercy. The trials we avoid aren't evidence of our righteousness but demonstrations of His faithfulness. Today, thank God for the crises He's prevented and the strength He's provided through those you couldn't avoid.
What difficult situation has God brought you through that could have destroyed you?
---
Day 3: Breaking Through Cultural Coldness
Matthew 25:31-46; Proverbs 21:13
The priest and Levite represent religious activity without compassion—a dangerous spiritual condition. They were so focused on their religious duties that they missed the divine opportunity before them. Our culture increasingly suffers from compassion fatigue, where constant exposure to suffering hardens our hearts. We become callous, developing emotional thick skin that prevents us from feeling others' pain. But God calls us to maintain tender hearts. When we see someone in need and possess the means to help, we must not "shut up the bowels of our compassion." Ignoring need when we can meet it makes us complicit in the suffering. The question isn't whether we can help everyone, but whether we'll help the one God places in our path today.
Who has God placed in your proximity that needs your compassion and practical help?
---
Day 4: The Unexpected Hero
Luke 10:29-37; James 2:14-26
Jesus shocked His audience by making a despised Samaritan the hero. This reversal teaches us that God values deeds over doctrine, character over credentials. The Samaritan didn't have "correct" theology by Jewish standards, yet he demonstrated the heart of God through his actions. He saw, he felt compassion, and he acted sacrificially—bandaging wounds, providing transportation, paying expenses, and guaranteeing future care. This is faith in action. Our beliefs must translate into behavior. Heaven's entrance exam won't be a theology test but an evaluation of how we treated "the least of these." When we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, and care for the vulnerable, we serve Jesus Himself. True Christianity is both vertical worship and horizontal service.
What practical need can you meet this week that requires personal sacrifice of time, money, or comfort?
---
Day 5: Lifted by Love
Ephesians 2:1-10; Psalm 40:1-3
The beaten man's story is our story. We were spiritually stripped, wounded, and left for dead by sin. Religious systems passed us by, unable to save. But Jesus, like the Good Samaritan, came where we were. He saw our desperate condition and had compassion. He bound our wounds with His grace, poured in the oil of the Holy Spirit, and carried us to safety at great personal cost. He paid our debt and promised to return. We didn't deserve rescue; we couldn't earn it or repay it. Love lifted us when we were sinking deep in sin. Now, having received such mercy, we're called to extend it to others. Our testimony of transformation should compel us toward compassion. We love because He first loved us.
How has Jesus lifted you from a low place, and how can you lift someone else today?
---
Closing Prayer:
Lord, make me a Good Samaritan in my generation. Open my eyes to see people as You see them. Soften my heart to feel what You feel. Strengthen my hands to do what You would do. Help me live out my faith through tangible acts of love. May my life be a living testimony that You are real, You are good, and You care for all people. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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