Love in Action and at Rest: Lessons from the Good Samaritan and Mary & Martha (Luke 10:25-42)
Have you ever wondered what it really means to love God and love others? In Luke 10, Jesus gives us two beautiful and challenging stories that help answer that question. One is about helping a stranger in need. The other is about simply sitting and listening. Together, they show us what it looks like to live a life of love.
A Simple but Big Question
One day, a religious expert asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” It sounds like a deep question, but Jesus didn’t give a long, complicated answer. Instead, He asked the man what he thought the answer was.
The man replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said he was right—but then the man asked a follow-up question:
“Who is my neighbor?”
He was looking for a limit. He wanted to know where his responsibility ended. That’s when Jesus told a story.
The Good Samaritan: Love in Action
Jesus told the story of a man who was attacked by robbers and left badly hurt on the side of the road. Two people—a priest and a Levite—saw him but walked right past. These were religious men, the kind people expected to help, but they didn’t.
Then came a Samaritan. At that time, Samaritans were disliked and often avoided by Jewish people. But this Samaritan didn’t walk by. He stopped. He cleaned the man’s wounds, put him on his own donkey, took him to a place to rest, and even paid for his care.
At the end, Jesus asked, “Which of these was a neighbor to the hurt man?”
The answer was clear: the one who showed mercy.
Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”
This story reminds us that being a neighbor isn’t about who lives next door or who we agree with. It’s about showing kindness to anyone in need—especially when it’s inconvenient or unexpected.
Mary and Martha: Love in Quiet Devotion
Right after that, Jesus visits a village where two sisters, Mary and Martha, welcome Him into their home. Martha gets busy preparing food and making sure everything is just right. Mary, on the other hand, sits at Jesus’ feet, listening to His words.
Eventually, Martha gets frustrated. She asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her. But instead of agreeing, Jesus gently says,
“Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better.”
Jesus wasn’t scolding Martha for serving—He just wanted her to see that spending time with Him mattered more than being busy.
Two Stories, One Message
These two stories might seem very different, but they actually go hand in hand.
- The Good Samaritan teaches us to love others through action—especially when it costs us something.
- Mary teaches us to love Jesus by giving Him our attention and time.
Both kinds of love are important. Jesus wants us to serve others, but He also wants us to sit with Him, listen, and grow closer to God. It’s not one or the other—it’s both.
Living with Love and Balance
So how do we apply these lessons today?
- Look around: Is there someone who needs your help, your kindness, or your time? Don’t wait. Be the neighbor.
- Look up: Are you making time to sit at Jesus’ feet—through prayer, reading the Bible, or just being quiet with God?
Loving God and loving others doesn’t have to be complicated. It starts with an open heart and a willing spirit.
So today, let’s remember: true love is both active and still. It serves others, and it listens to God. And that kind of love can change the world—one act of kindness, one quiet moment at a time.
Luke 10:25-42 (WEB)
10:25 Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”28 He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.”29 But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”30 Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, 34 came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’ 36 Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?”37 He said, “He who showed mercy on him.”Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”38 As they went on their way, he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she came up to him, and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister left me to serve alone? Ask her therefore to help me.”41 Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.”