The
man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my
neighbor?" Jesus replied with a story: "A Jewish man was traveling from
Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped
him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the
road. By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying
there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A
Temple assistant (a Levite) walked over and looked at him lying there,
but he also passed by on the other side. Then a despised Samaritan came
along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over
to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and
bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an
inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two
silver coins, telling him, 'Take care of this man. If his bill runs
higher than this, I'll pay you the next time I'm here.' Now which of
these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by
bandits?" Jesus asked. The man replied, "The one who showed him mercy."
Then Jesus said, "Yes, now go and do the same."
"The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, 'Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I'll pay you the next time I'm here.' "
Matthew 20:1-2 "For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay the normal daily wage (one denarius) and sent them out to work." (see verses 1-16) (NOTE: the two coins would be enough for about a two month stay at the inn)
"Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?" Jesus asked. The man replied, "The one who showed him mercy." The Jesus said, "Yes, now go and do the same."
Micah 6:8 No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Zechariah 7:9 "This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another."
Matthew 9:13 Then he (Jesus) added, "Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.' (Hosea 6:6) For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners."
Matthew 23:23 "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law--justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things."
(parentheses are mine)
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