Parable of the Good Samaritan

Most people understand the basic point of this well-known parable. The whole story describes working compassion as contrasted to selfishness. It also clarifies just who is our neighbor.

A well-known principle of Bible study is that repetition is among the best forms of emphasis. If God states something once, it is important, and if twice, ...

Mercy is an important dimension of God's character, displayed by our compassion on and forgiveness of those over whom we have power.

It is impossible to become perfect without having mercy or compassion. Jesus' command to become perfect includes showing compassion to our enemies.

God's way of life is a way of outgoing concern for the good of others. It is offering a hand to help others to do what they cannot do for themselves.

Martin Collins, citing Ephesians 4:29-32, warns against corrupt, bitter, and wrathful communication, a practice which may grieve or attenuate God's Spirit. We have the tendency to nurse or harbor grievances and bitterness, souring our outlook on everything. . .

God's way of giving is true altruism, and while we will never attain to such a perfect standard, He exhorts us to develop this characteristic.

Mercy is a virtue that has gone out of vogue, though it is sometimes admired. Jesus, however, places it among the most vital His followers should possess.

We are obligated to show compassion and mercy to all, refraining from gossip, exercising righteous judgment, forgiving others and applying the Golden Rule.

Kindness goes hand-in-hand with love. It is an active expression of love toward God and fellow man, produced through the power of God's Spirit.

Because kindness is love in action, we must galvanize our thoughts into concrete behaviors, including offering encouraging words and performing uplifting deeds.

We are called to take on the very nature of God, to put on the love of God. Surprisingly, We can rekindle our first love by ardently keeping God's Commandments.

Micah provides a formula for being a Christian: 1.) Doing justly, 2.) Exercising mercy and 3.) Walking humbly. These demand total commitment, not a pretense.

Philosophers and ethicists, steeped in humanism, shoot wide of the truth in answering, 'Who is my neighbor?' Charles Whitaker explains that the Bible reveals the answer to this big moral question, as well as providing sensible guidelines on the finer detai. . .

Martin Collins, reflecting on some judicial inequities, such as rendering harsh sentences for misdemeanors and ridiculously light sentences for abominable felonies, examines similar injustices in business, government, and family. Often unequal compensation. . .

Our intimate fellowship should not be with the world, but be concentrated upon God and those who have made the Covenant, loving them as we would ourselves.

James Beaubelle, insisting that there is nothing passive in the way God deals with His people and His creation, asserts that the God of the Bible was and is actively involved in the lives of His people with the expectation that they become active also. The. . .

John Ritenbaugh, using the term "malignant narcissism" (from M. Scott Peck's book "People Of The Lie") to describe the blind Laodicean pride which denies our inherent sinfulness and imperfection by means of clever self-decptive quibblin. . .