ON CLOSER OBSERVATION, we marvel at the Samaritan’s compassionate and intentional acts of service to the badly wounded man.¹⁸ By stopping to tend to the man, the Samaritan exposed himself to the risk of being robbed, since the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was a dangerous route during the time of Jesus.¹⁹ The first aid he administered was carefully done – with oil he relieved the man’s pain and with wine he disinfected his wounds. Then he strenuously lifted the man’s full body weight up onto the back of his riding animal (presumably a donkey). For the rest of the journey to the nearest inn, the Samaritan walked on foot while the slumped man was carried by his donkey. At the inn, he took intermittent rest while he attended to the man. The following day the Samaritan paid the innkeeper to care for the man and gave an undertaking to bear all the expenses necessary for the man’s well-being, before leaving for some days to settle his personal matters. When faced with a similar situation of need today, some Christians may say that they do not have the resources to go the extra mile. What Timothy Keller wrote is pertinent: “God calls some people to more extensive ministries by giving them desire, ability and opportunity”.²⁰ So for those of us whom God has given much resources, let us do more to bless those in need. For others who have less resources, let us nonetheless do what we can.²¹ May Christ’s incomparable love for us compel us to do even small things with great love for people in need!

¹⁸ They remind us of the famous quote by Mother Teresa: “The fruit of love is service, which is compassion in action”.
¹⁹ The ESV Study Bible, Personal Size, ESV Bible (Crossway, 2008), 1977 (see notes on 10:30 Jericho).
²⁰ Timothy Keller, Ministries of Mercy: The Call of the Jericho Road, Second Edition (P&R, 1997), 78.
²¹ As Mother Teresa said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”