By Michael C. Mack

Have you ever been in need and were surprised by someone else’s mercy? 

Read Luke 10:25-37. 

How would you characterize the questions of the expert on the law? What were his motives? 

Who were the three men who saw the victim on the road? What do you know about priests, Levites, and Samaritans and how they were perceived by the Jews of Jesus’ day? (Use the notes in a study Bible or a commentary for more information.) 

What excuses might the priest and Levite have made for passing by this man? 

If Jesus were telling this story today, who do you think he would identify as the three people who saw the victim? 

Of the three men who saw the victim on the road, which one was the true worshipper? Have people look up and read Hosea 6:6; Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20; Colossians 3:17. What is the connection between mercy and worship? 

What excuses have you made for passing by someone in need?

Who is the neighbor in your life about whom Jesus is telling you, “Go and do likewise”? 

Michael Mack leads church training events and consults with churches through his ministry, Small Group Leadership (www.smallgroupleadership.com).